Proud to join hands with East Bengal, says Aditya Agarwal

The Emami Group has joined as the club's principal investors.

Finally, the day arrived. The day the entire East Bengal fraternity was waiting for. The club have at last put pen to paper on the agreement with the investors – Emami Group. A contract like this usually takes around 4-6 months to come to fruition. However, the officials of both East Bengal and Emami Group have worked tirelessly since May 25, the day West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the alliance of the two.

Aditya Agarwal on venture forward

The club had organized the revelation at the Oberoi Grand, Kolkata. Aditya Agarwal, Director of Emami Group stated, “We were waiting for this day since long. We start a new journey today – Emami East Bengal. East Bengal is not only a football club but also an emotion. Similarly, Emami is also not only a name but it’s a belief and responsible corporate company.”

The Director along with partner Manish Goenka are great followers of sport. Aditya Agarwal even claimed that his son plays football. Speaking more about the occasion, the Director added, “Our company was born in West Bengal and grew up here. We understand the sentiment of West Bengal. We are proud to join hands with the legacy of East Bengal.”

On the transfer activities

East Bengal have signed a few players recently. Aniket Jadhav, Souvik Chakrabarti and Jerry Lalrinzuala have signed already. Those who were sent pre-contracts will also sign in a few days. Aditya Agarwal shed light on these off-field activities. He said, “We are lacking for the ISL. But the way we have worked in the past one month, we’ll cover the lost ground. We need some more time to build a strong team. But we’ll build that.”

Cooperation will be there between both parties

Previously the relationship between Shree Cement Limited and East Bengal wasn’t at its best since the former never took help or took very less suggestions from the club officials. However, Aditya Agarwal’s statement sounded positive. He said, “Wherever there will be a need, we will be present. We will take guidance from the officials. Emami needs East Bengal. East Bengal will also think the same.”

The Director added, “A relationship can blossom or worsen from both sides. We will support each other and make ourselves stronger. This is the commitment from Emami. We will do our duties.”

On Stephen Constantine’s appointment

The club have appointed Stephen Constantine as the head coach a few days back. Aditya Agarwal spoke on the issue as well. He remarked, “Stephen Constantine knows the players, Indian culture and tradition. He is a good choice. He’ll be in India in a few days. Regarding the team building, we will bring in talented players.”

East Bengal club official Debabrata Sarkar added, “Coach should probably get his visa tomorrow. Also, hopefully in the next few days, foreign players will be selected.”

Former captain usher positive vibes

Former East Bengal captain Prasanta Banerjee was also present at the event alongside other former footballers. The presence of Syed Rahim Nabi, Alvito D’Cunha, Krishnendu Ray, Bhaskar Ganguly and others made the event even more delightful. Banerjee commented, “Have patience. We will win a lot of trophies. We have to let go of the past and look forward. A good team will be formed. Results will be good. The people who are responsible for these affairs are working with their hearts.”