East Bengal was left without an investor after ISL 2021-22. However, after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention, Emami Group has been roped in as its new investor.
It turned out to be a turbulent time for Indian football giants East Bengal, as it was left without an investor following its horrendous outing in the 2021-22 Indian Super League (ISL), where it finished at the bottom of the points table. After months of uncertainty and speculations about new investors, it has finally managed to rope in Emami Group as its new investor, once again thanks to the priceless intervention of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reports Sportstar. Although the reigning Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Sourav Ganguly, had hinted that English giants Manchester United could be in line to take up the club ownership, it is not the case anymore.
Speaking on occasion, Mamata communicated, "I had a small request to them [Emami Group] if they could help East Bengal since they have been a Kolkata-based industry and have never left Bengal. East Bengal Club has a strong brand value. The two parties will meet later and sort out the details. Today, both the parties have agreed to the partnership over a cup of tea. It paves the way for East Bengal's participation in the ISL."
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Meanwhile, East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar added, "In Bengal, Didi [Mamata] is the only Chief Minister who thinks about sports. I thank the Emami Group, and we have decided to walk together in the future. We hope to improve the club's performance and make all football fans happy."
On the other hand, Aditya Agarwal also spoke on behalf of Emami, "We thank the Chief Minister for offering us a chance to be associated with such a top club. Emami has been associated with East Bengal and football since the 1990s, and now, we are getting a second chance. We hope that we will be able to meet the expectations."
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Earlier, East Bengal had Shree Cements as its investor for the last two ISL seasons, which came at the last moment following Mamata's intervention. However, things did not go smoothly between the two in the opening season. Although they continued their partnership for a season more, with the club finishing at rock bottom, it happened to be the final nail in the coffin for their collaboration. SC gave up its majority stake of 76% of the club.