ISL: Crisis throws up thrilling finale as East Bengal look to end 22-year wait

The matches and scenarios

And so here we are, with a close title race that is the result of a crisis. The five protagonists in it are Punjab FC, Mumbai City, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC. Bagan are facing Sporting Club Delhi at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata while East Bengal play Inter Kashi a few kilometres away in Mukundapur. Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC play each other at the JLN Stadium in New Delhi. If both Kolkata giants drop points, the winner of the match between Mumbai and Punjab will win the league. If all three of these games end in draws, East Bengal will win their first domestic league title in 22 years.

The fourth match of the day is between Jamshedpur FC and Odisha FC with the former still having a mathematical chance – or more of a miracle – of making it to the top. To win the title, Jamshedpur have to hope for both Bagan and East Bengal to lose their matches, and then a favourable result in the match between Mumbai and Punjab. If Bagan or East Bengal draw, Jamshedpur have to overcome a six-goal deficit in goal difference with Bagan and a 12-goal deficit with East Bengal.

East Bengal are the clear favourites among the four teams. A win against Inter Kashi will seals the title regardless of what happens in the other matches. Unless Bagan somehow overturn their arch-rivals higher goal difference. They need to win by a minimum margin of five goals just on the basis of the way things stand and so it will be quite the result if they do it.

Looming crisis

Coaches of all four teams said they told their players to focus on winning on the night and ignore the noise from the other matches. However, the most telling quote was from East Bengal’s Oscar Bruzon earlier this month, when he announced that he won’t be continuing in this role after this season.

“From February 2025, we started the planning for this season. I was involved with the technical matters while Emami’s Vibhash Agarwal looked into the economics of it. We have been working very hard to understand the situation of the club, analysing and scouting the best possible players. There are many people trying to take credit for it but the reality is Vibhash and I are responsible for what has happened this season.

“We are in May. There is no long-term vision, there is no planning, there is no talk of keeping the key players in the team. There is nothing at all about the future of East Bengal,” Bruzon had said.

Less than 24 hours before the start of these decisive matches came a statement from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) stating that it had rejected applications of seven clubs for a Premier 1 Club License, which is required for playing in the ISL. Mohun Bagan was one of them. Additionally, none of those whose applications were accepted have been granted without sanctions.

Bagan and other rejected clubs have the right to either appeal the decision or request an exemption to participate in the national club competition, but a development of this nature dropping just before a dramatic end to the season serves almost as an apt reminder. All is not well.

(All matches to be played from 7.30pm IST).