I-League 2018: East Bengal shed Kingfisher from official club name
What's the story?
East Bengal have finally parted ways with their longtime sponsor, United Breweries (UB) Group. The group used to promote their brand Kingfisher, which was the title sponsor of the club, but from now on the name ‘Kingfisher' won’t be included before the club’s name.
In case you didn't know...
UB set foot as the sponsors of India’s two biggest clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, back in 1998 when Vijay Mallya was the owner of the multi-national company. While the Green and Maroon brigade cut ties with them a few seasons ago, their arch-rivals took the decision only on Monday evening.
The heart of the matter
As per reports, Kingfisher offered a certain amount which, according to the club officials, was not enough for being the title sponsor of a giant like East Bengal. Reportedly, the UB Group reduced the sponsorship budget from a possible 3.5 crores to 1.5 crores.
Following this, the Kolkata giants demanded 2.5 crores, but the proposition was overturned. Failing to come to an agreement, the two decided to end the partnership which had lasted for two decades.
East Bengal boss Debabrata Sarkar assured the public that they would find a solution to the problem in the upcoming days.
What's next?
During the press conference held on Monday, the directors of the club revealed that they are trying to shortlist potential sponsors and investors for the club, that too as soon as possible so that the financial matter is solved. "Hopefully, we can finish the process soon," shared Debabrata Sarkar.
This is not the first time that Kolkata clubs are having sponsorship problems. In a cricket crazy nation, a majority of the investors are not inclined towards taking risks in football.
Author's take
With a few months left for the Calcutta Football League to start, the Red and Gold brigade needs to find financial support to form a team which sees them through a successful domestic season. Although their CFL record is laudable, the main focus will be to win the I-League title in the upcoming season, for which they need the necessary funds to hire quality players.