East Bengal's top officials should not try to micro-manage the club: Kushal Das

Kushal Das, AIFF general secretary, says “nothing is impossible” with respect to East Bengal's chances of making it to the ISL, but feels the club's governance needs to undergo changes.

Kushal Das, general secretary of the All India Football Federation, feels East Bengal's "top officials should not try to micro-manage the club."

Kolkata giant East Bengal, which celebrated its centenary on Saturday, is in a race against time to seal a berth in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Its Kolkata rival Mohun Bagan merged with ATK to join the ISL, now the top division of Indian football, and East Bengal is keen on making the ascension too. 

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Kushal Das, general secretary of the All India Football Federation, said “nothing is impossible” when asked about East Bengal's chances of making it to the ISL, but added that the club's governance needed to undergo changes.

“East Bengal should change with times. The club should have various departments that cater to investors, sponsors, competitions, and so on. The top officials should not try to micro-manage the club,” Das said during the  Sportstar  Star Talk series, powered by ITM University.

 

East Bengal's player of the century and former captain Bhaichung Bhutia also had a similar view. “Can East Bengal fulfil the terms and conditions of playing in the ISL right now? The most important thing is for the club to be organised and be ready. We will have a relegation system in the ISL after a few years, and the club should be in a position to produce players and invest in them to make the club grow,” he said.

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Former East Bengal and India captain Renedy Singh felt the club needed a  better structure to sustain in the ISL. “I know East Bengal is not ready to make the jump [to ISL]. Fans see that officials are not trying and they need to start working more professionally. If you don’t have the structure right then they could get relegated in the future,” he said.