It started with Mohun Bagan and inevitably moved to East Bengal. The title of the session at the RevSportz Trailblazers 3.0 Conclave on Friday was – MBSG: Is This The Best ISL Team Ever?
Srinjoy Bose, Bagan’s former general secretary, put things in perspective. “In the ISL, this is the best Mohun Bagan team. But I can’t say if it’s the best ever. There have been many great Mohun Bagan teams in the past. The club has produced legends.”
He spoke about the bonhomie the club has with the RPSG Group. The Group, with Sanjiv Goenka as its chairman, acquired the majority stakes of Bagan’s football in 2020, as the club moved to the ISL. Bose was effusive in his praise for Goenka.
Another panellist, Alvito D’Cunha, an East Bengal legend, said: “The culture of East Bengal needs to change. It can’t run like the olden days, now that corporates have come. Kids are falling for Mohun Bagan because they want to see the results. I hope from East Bengal’s point of view, things change quickly.”
According to former India footballer Syed Rahim Nabi: “Mohun Bagan have been successful because they have retained their core group of players. East Bengal have erred in player selections.”
The discussion moved to Sunil Chhetri’s decision to come out of international retirement. Sanjay Sen, an I-League-winning coach, was forthright in his comment, as he said: “It showed the dearth of talent in Indian football, that football in our country hasn’t progressed an inch over the last 10 years.”
Both Alvito and Nabi called it a regressive step.
Mohun Bagan legend Jose Barreto, however, opined that young players in the Indian team will benefit from Chhetri’s experience.
The session was moderated by Rahul Giri and Debasis Sen.