Emami Group to invest in East Bengal Club

East Bengal Club has found a new investor in the Kolkata-based Emami Group.

The agreement was arrived on Wednesday at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the State Secretariat in presence of East Bengal club and Emami Group officials.

“They will sort out the deal amidst themselves. They had come to meet me and both have agreed. The problems faced by East Bengal for the ISL has been sorted out,” the Chief Minister said.

Congratulating both the club and the business group, she pointed out that both the first letters of East Bengal and Emami begin with ‘E’ and they should together conquer ISL.

The development comes amidst speculations that the iconic Kolkata Club could tie up with English Football giant Manchester United.

East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar, who was present at the meeting, praised the Chief Minister saying she regularly thinks about development of sports.

“I thank the Emami group and we took a pledge to begin our journey together in the presence of Didi. We hope to improve the club’s performance and make the fans happy,” he added.

Aditya V. Agarwal, Director, Emami Group, said “they will try to meet the expectations and East Bengal and Emami together will make the association a huge success”.

Emphasising that East Bengal Club is an integral part of Indian football, Agarwal said, “we do believe it is the duty of the corporate world to promote and nurture sports and sportsmen”.

The Chief Minister had played a key role in the agreement between Shree Cement Limited and East Bengal which paved the club’s way into the ISL in 2020-21 seasons.

The association, however, was short-lived as the club’s Executive Committee refused to sign the final agreement, claiming discrepancies in the initial term.