East Bengal, a century-old legacy club with an Illustrious history, joined the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of Indian football, in the 2020-21 season.
One thing, however, has remained unchanged – the club’s tendency to hire and fire coaches.
In just five seasons, East Bengal have brought in seven foreign coaches, none lasting more than a year. Six of these coaches were sacked in a desperate measure to change the club’s fortunes.
Little patience
This summer, East Bengal also became the league’s biggest spender, shelling out nearly six crores to build a squad the club hoped would be capable of competing both domestically and in continental tournaments.
Yet, despite the financial outlay, the club’s luck remains elusive.
Oscar Bruzon, the newly appointed head coach of East Bengal who replaced Carles Cuadrat, has already sensed the magnitude of the challenge he faces at the helm of one of India’s oldest football clubs, passionately supported by millions across the eastern fringe of the country.
East Bengal’s management has long been accused of being impatient.
Cuadrat, who was roped in before the start of the previous season with much aplomb, was sacked after just three games into the 2024-25 ISL campaign, despite winning the Super Cup and ending East Bengal’s 11-year wait for a national title.
When Cuadrat failed to help the Red and Gold brigade get going in the ISL despite enjoying the possession, the club management promptly showed him the door.
They did the same thing to Khalid Jamil, arguably the best Indian coach in the ISL, who is now at the helm of Jamshedpur FC.
Despite early success, including a CFL title win, he was unceremoniously shown the door as East Bengal coach in 2018.
There is a feeling among supporters that the current management is mishandling the club’s proud legacy in Indian football. The golden days of East Bengal, once a dominant force in Indian football, now seem harder to recapture amidst the tumult.
Remarkably, East Bengal still hold a superior head-to-head record over their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan, despite being winless in their last nine ISL meetings.
However, Bruzon, who is no stranger to Indian football, having managed Sporting Clube de Goa, Mumbai FC, and Mumbai City, knows the steep task ahead.
Bruzon on a mission
Bruzon arrived in Kolkata early last Saturday. Despite fatigue and jet lag, he sat on the bench to witness East Bengal’s timid showing in their 0-2 loss to Mohun Bagan Super Giant, marking the club’s fifth consecutive defeat this season – their worst start to an ISL campaign.
The pressure is mounting, with fans and management desperately awaiting a change in fortunes.
For the past three seasons, East Bengal – once crowned champions of the National Football League/I-League three times and holders of eight Federation Cup titles – has languished in the bottom half of the ISL table.
Although Cuadrat managed to break the club’s decade-long title drought with the Super Cup victory, his possession-based style failed to win over the fans and management.
The frustrations that grew during his tenure are now something Bruzon must take note of.
On a positive note, the 47-year-old Spanish coach has not wasted time assessing the core problems at East Bengal.
“We are in the observation period,” Bruzon said after the Mohun Bagan game.
“Our team lack aggression and intensity, and we are making errors during the build-up.”
Like his predecessors, Bruzon has asked for time to rebuild.
“I deserve some time to observe and tackle the things that are not working well.”
Oscar Bruzon during a training session at the East Bengal ground on October 20, 2024.
A race against time
Time, however, is a luxury that previous East Bengal coaches sought but have rarely received.
Whether Bruzon will be given the time he needs remains to be seen. Nevertheless, he has set a realistic and optimistic target: a top-six finish in the ISL and improved performances in the AFC Cup.
Bruzon is clearly on a mission.
On Sunday, just hours after the derby defeat, he was at the club’s Maidan tent early in the morning and stayed until the afternoon.
Overcoming fatigue, Bruzon trained the team for two and a half hours under the scorching sun, holding individual conversations with players to help them improve.
Notably, those who have struggled this season, like Dimitrios Diamantakos, were pushed harder.
Fitness, a key issue for East Bengal, is something Bruzon has already planned to address, particularly with two ageing foreign players that are under scrutiny – Cleiton Silva and Hector Yuste.
He then held a 90-minute meeting with club official Debabrata Sarkar and assistant coach Bino George, discussing various pressing issues that East Bengal have been facing.
Instead of signing expensive foreign reinforcements, Bruzon has expressed a preference for signing Indian players.
With a busy schedule ahead, including a clash with Odisha FC on Tuesday in the ISL and the beginning of their AFC Cup campaign, Bruzon faces both opportunity and challenge.
While Bruzon has the full season to prove his mettle, the downward spiral of East Bengal, currently at the bottom of the ISL standings, shows just how much work he needs to restore the club’s legacy.
Whether Bruzon can revive East Bengal’s fortunes, in a club where time has often been in short supply, remains the ultimate question.
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