I-League 2018: With new financial backing, East Bengal promise large-scale changes
East Bengal officially unveiled QUESS Corporation Limited as their new sponsor changing the name of the historic club to Quess East Bengal Football Club. The Bengaluru-based company started its operations in the South Indian city 10 years back and is currently one of India’s largest employers with more than 2, 60,000 in its rolls.
East Bengal’s Kalyan Majumder was named as the managing director of the club, although a new board of directors will be formed.
“For the past 20 years, we were in collaboration with a company which ended in May for various reasons. Following that, we were thinking of how to cope up with the problem. Kalyan Da, Shanti Da and others had many discussions but a solution was hard to find. During that time, we met a person who introduced us to many investors. It was then that we started talks with the company after consulting with our advisor Mr Ajay Chatterji,” said Debabrata Sarkar during the press meet in Kolkata on Thursday.
He added, “In the middle of all these events, Mr.Sen approached us and said that a friend of his has been watching East Bengal for the past few years and wants to work with the club. He wants to be a part of the game and he has been deprived of the opportunity from many other clubs in India.
"After conducting initial talks with them, we discovered that they are willing to improve the condition of the club and its infrastructure. They have a dream; they want to improve youth development and discussed the matters with us in various meetings and finally, our partnership took shape today,” he said.
It is expected that 70 percent of the shares will be held by the corporate organisation, while the club is entitled to the remaining. The club will bid to play in the Indian Super League for the upcoming season but they are expecting a unified league sooner if East Bengal is not permitted to play in this edition.
Quess East Bengal Football Club will kick off its season with the Calcutta Football League which is scheduled to start later this month. After a disappointing show in the I-League last season, the Red and Gold brigade will be eager to bring back glory days to the club once again.