Mohun Bagan suspends first team operations as ISL limbo continues, East Bengal urges BCCI to step in

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the defending champions in the ISL, has suspended its first team operations citing continuing lack of clarity in the future of the league.

Mohun Bagan's Super Cup campaign ended with a 0-0 draw against East Bengal in the group stage. (Photo Credit: AIFF)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant have said that they have suspended first team operations in the wake of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) stating that it has received no bids for the tender it floated inviting new commercial partners for running the Indian Super League (ISL). Reigning ISL champions Bagan’s campaign in the ongoing Super Cup came to an end in the group stage on October 31 with a goalless draw against heated cross-town rivals East Bengal.

A source within the club told The Indian Express that the players had been informed of operations being potentially stopped by the club if there is no clarity on the ISL. “We were optimistic of a December 15 start for the ISL and the players were initially scheduled to assemble on Monday for the camp,” the official told this paper. However, with no bids now coming for the league, it is unlikely to start this year at all.

No stoppage of operations for East Bengal

Meanwhile, East Bengal senior executive committee member Debabrata (Nitu) Sarkar is quoted as saying by PTI that they are continuing business as usual. The club has qualified for the semifinals of the Super Cup, which will be played on December 4 with the final scheduled for December 7. East Bengal face Punjab FC while FC Goa play Mumbai City FC in the other semifinal fixture. “We have not yet suspended our operations. I personally feel ISL will go on. Indian football cannot stop like this. I strongly believe the Union Sports Ministry, AIFF and former officials will definitely not let it happen,” Sarkar is quoted as saying by PTI.

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Furthermore, Sarkar has called for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to step in. “Personally, I have an appeal. Football is the most popular sport worldwide and also in India. So my appeal is if the BCCI gets ready to sponsor Indian football for at least four-five years, for them Rs 100–150 crore is not much. If they take responsibility, Indian football can move forward in a better way. It can’t get better than this,” he is further quoted as saying by the agency.

Last month, the AIFF invited tenders from companies with a minimum net worth of Rs 250 crore to bid for the ISL commercial rights and put forward a set of conditions. Some of them were that for the duration of the partnership — 15 years — the winning bidder would pay the AIFF Rs 37.5 crore each year, or 5 percent of the gross revenue, whichever was higher, mandatory promotion and relegation, parachute payments for relegated teams and gradual adoption of the Video Assistant Referee.

The interested parties had till November 7, 5pm to submit the tenders. But on Friday, when the deadline expired, the AIFF, embarrassingly, did not have a single bid. And now, the future of the ISL — at a time when men’s football is going through one of its darkest phases — looks uncertain once again.