East Bengal ready to play Super Cup with reserve players, says Sarkar

"If our investor does not allow our football team to play, we will form a reserve team and participate in Super Cup," East Bengal's senior official Debabrata Sarkar said on Wednesday.

East Bengal's investor Quess has not allowed the official team contracted under it to participate in the Super Cup.

In a late evening development on Wednesday, East Bengal made it official that it is ready to take part in Super Cup even with a reserve team, despite its investor not allowing the official team contracted under it to participate. The club said it will take the extreme step of forming a side out of available players in the tournament.

"We are are going to stick to our earlier decision of playing the Super Cup as it involves the sentiments of our members, fans and well-wishers. If our investor does not allow our football team to play, we will form a reserve team and participate in the Super Cup," said senior club official Debabrata Sarkar after the club's letter to the chairman of  Quess East Bengal FC Pvt Ltd, Ajit Isaac failed to find any response.

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"We are getting ready to start a practice session on Friday with the reserve players. If required we can draft in the Santosh Trophy players of the state and also requisition players on loan to make the team," Sarkar said with the state body (Indian Football Association) president, Ajit Banerjee, by his side.

East Bengal's move came after the conglomerate of nine I-League clubs told the All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das that they are ready to play the Super Cup if the national federation is ready to confirm a meeting of the clubs with its president Praful Patel and their demands on various issues are given a proper hearing.