Five reasons why Shree Cement can lead East Bengal to glory

The Red & Gold need strong investors to compete at the top echelons of the ISL.

A lot of trouble is brewing at SC East Bengal. There is still no definitive confirmation that Shree Cement will remain their investors for next season. Unless an agreement is struck, the Red & Gold Brigade could be left out of the Indian Super League (ISL) next season

The clock is ticking on the deadline for Shree Cement to confirm their status as the club’s investors. The ISL committee wants affirmation about their future before planning for next season. In the end, everything could be resolved and this partnership should continue for the foreseeable future.

Despite all the troubles in their debut season, East Bengal still have investors capable of giving them resources to become a top dog in the ISL. They have the finances to fund moves for prominent players. So, let’s look at five reasons why Shree Cement can lead East Bengal to glory in the ISL.

5. Sustainable finances

Being a top cement manufacturer in India, Shree Cement have an impeccable financial record. In 2020, they made a total revenue of $1.8bn (₹13,142 crores). They are currently the second-largest cement company in India. With those finances, they are unlikely to have issues financing an ISL club.

Over the last few years, ISL clubs have normally made massive losses that have had to be sustained by club owners. As a result, Delhi Dynamos had to be rebranded to Odisha FC, while FC Pune City became Hyderabad FC. However, Shree Cement have the necessary finances to stay strong even after suffering potential losses.

They have the groundwork to ensure SC East Bengal are a well-run club for years to come. As long as they can develop a reputation of being a financially well-off club that pays their employees in time and treats them well, Shree Cement can automatically ensure that top stars want to join the club and make it an ISL giant in the coming years.

4. Ability to increase club’s popularity

It’s no surprise that playing in the ISL automatically increases the popularity of a club in India. Even for a club like East Bengal with such a massive fan base, playing in the ISL has brought more eyes to them.

Indeed, some casual fans who might’ve skipped I-League games now tend to watch them more. If they manage to succeed in the ISL, that popularity will only increase. Shree Cement have the resources to ensure they keep growing as a club. With their finances, they can hire proper PR and better advertisers to increase fan involvement.

Proper advertising will lead to more viewership and automatically increase their famous fanbase even further. As long as they have their devoted supporters behind them, East Bengal will always remain a top team in India. Shree Cement can ensure more fans get engrossed in their team and keep building on the club’s popularity.

3. Can encourage proper long-term plans for success

Shree Cement have a lot of work to do to make a proper football setup at East Bengal. Last season, their entire team and management structure was made hurriedly in preparation for the ISL. Going forward, as long as the partnership is strong, they can take their time and build a more sustainable plan.

This includes appointing football-related experts in positions of power, appointing directors, scouts and other technical staff to improve the on-pitch work. They have the finances to work with a quality team and should give them freedom to build for the future.

As a result, they can lay the groundwork for a bright future for East Bengal. While it might take a few years for the Red & Gold Brigade to become a truly dominant force, proper future planning by top professionals can help them rule over the ISL after a few seasons.

2. Have the means to attract top-level talent

Shree Cement are a company that continues to make huge profits every year. As a result, they have more than enough finances to put into improving the East Bengal squad. Like their rivals ATK Mohun Bagan – East Bengal can also spend big every year to bulk up their squad.

Shree Cement will comfortably be able to afford big talents and offer them sizeable wages. Last season, they proved that by attracting some prominent foreign talents from England. Going forward, they can perhaps scout and recruit even better foreigners and give them big wages.

Even on a domestic scale, they have more than enough capability to afford the best Indian talents. They could even sign a few quality Indian stars from other clubs with sizeable transfer fees. Shree Cement definitely have the resources to deliver big bucks each year and continue to help East Bengal grow as a quality unit.

1. Won’t fold up like previous investors

The big problem East Bengal have had in recent years is the lack of stable investors. They had Kingfisher as sponsors many years back, but the company’s losses meant they faded away.

Quess Corporation then took over a couple of years ago, but that didn’t work out so well either. The biggest reason behind them failing to hold onto a prime investor is because not everyone is willing to bear losses. Then, there’s also the cause of internal politics by some within the club management.

The entire conflict with Shree Cement is because of the club’s management refusing to work with them. But, if things are resolved between the two parties and Shree Cement are allowed to operate without issues, they could definitely take the club to new places. Because of their finances and reputation, the corporates are unlikely to back down as investors even if they bear losses. The stability and reassurance which they’ll provide can help East Bengal reinstate their position as a giant in Indian football.

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