East Bengal FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
East Bengal

Full name	East Bengal Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Bangal Brigade Red & Gold Brigade
Short name	EBFC
Founded	1 August 1920; 104 years ago (1920-08-01)
Stadium	Salt Lake Stadium East Bengal Ground
Stadium capacity	85,000 23,500
Owner	Emami East Bengal FC Pvt. Ltd.: Emami Group (77%) East Bengal Club Pvt. Ltd (23%)
President	Murari Lal Lohia
Head coach	Óscar Bruzón
League	Indian Super League
2021–22	Indian Super League, 11th of 11 Playoffs: DNQ
Home colours Away colours

East Bengal Football Club, often called East Bengal, is a professional football club from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The club plays in the Indian Super League, which is the top football league in India. East Bengal has won many important competitions, like the National Football League and Federation Cup. This makes them one of the most successful football clubs in India.

The club started in August 1920. It joined the Indian Football Association in 1922. They first played in the Calcutta Football League Second Division. In 1924, they moved up to the First Division. East Bengal won its first First Division league title in 1942. They have won it a record 40 times since then. The club helped start the National Football League in 1996. This was India's first nationwide football league. East Bengal has won this league 3 times. They have also won 8 Federation Cups, 3 Super Cups, and a record 29 IFA Shield titles. They have also won 16 Durand Cup titles. This makes them one of the most decorated clubs in Indian football. On January 28, 2024, they won the Kalinga Super Cup final by beating Odisha 3–2. This was their first title in 12 years. Because they won, East Bengal got to play in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two preliminary stage.

Club History

Suresh Chandra Chaudhari (founder)

Sailesh Bose

Sarada Ranjan Roy (First president)

How East Bengal Started

On July 28, 1920, a football match was supposed to happen between Jorabagan and Mohun Bagan. A player named Sailesh Bose was left out of the Jorabagan team. Suresh Chandra Chaudhuri, a vice-president of Jorabagan, wanted Bose to play. When his request was denied, Chaudhuri left the club. He was joined by Raja Manmatha Nath Chaudhuri, Ramesh Chandra Sen, and Aurobinda Ghosh.

They decided to form a new club called East Bengal. This happened on August 1, 1920. The name "East Bengal" was chosen because the founders were from the eastern part of Bengal. Sarada Ranjan Ray became the first president of the new club. Suresh Chandra Chowdhury and Tarit Bhusan Roy were the first joint secretaries. Soon, they announced the first team players.

Early Years: 1920s–1930s

East Bengal players and officials in 1921

In August 1920, East Bengal played its first tournament, the Hercules Cup. This was a seven-a-side competition. On August 11, 1920, they played their first match ever against Metropolitan College. East Bengal won 4–0 and went on to win the tournament. This showed everyone that a new strong club had arrived. They also won the Khagendra Shield in 1921.

After this, the club joined the Indian Football Association (IFA). They entered the IFA Second Division. In their first season, they finished third. The first unofficial match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was on August 8, 1921. It was a semi-final in the Cooch Behar Cup and ended in a draw.

In 1924, East Bengal won the Second Division. They were promoted to the IFA First Division. At that time, the IFA, which was a British organization, only allowed two Indian clubs in the First Division. This rule had stopped other Indian clubs from joining. However, the British clubs in the IFA voted to let East Bengal join. Interestingly, the two Indian clubs, Mohun Bagan and Aryan, were against it. East Bengal's efforts helped to remove this unfair rule for Indian clubs.

In 1925, East Bengal played its first match in the IFA First Division. Mona Dutta scored the club's first goal in that league. On May 28, 1925, the first official Kolkata Derby was played. Nepal Chakraborty scored the only goal for East Bengal in that game.

Golden Era: 1940s–1970s

East Bengal players after winning 1949 IFA Shield

It took until 1942 for East Bengal to win their first IFA First Division title. They won their first IFA Shield in 1943. In 1945, they won both the Calcutta Football League (CFL) and the IFA Shield. In 1948, East Bengal became the first Indian team to beat a foreign club on home ground. They won 2–0 against the Chinese Olympic XI.

In 1949, East Bengal won their first treble. This means they won three major trophies in one season: the Calcutta League, the IFA Shield, and the Rovers Cup. They were the first Indian club to do this. The club also won the 1949 Rovers Cup and the Durand Cup in 1951. This time was known for the rise of the Pancha Pandavas. These five players—P. B. A. Saleh, Ahmed Khan, P. Venkatesh, Appa Rao, and K. P. Dhanaraj—played together from 1949 to 1953.

The club won its first DCM Trophy in 1950. They also won the IFA Shield three years in a row: 1949, 1950, and 1951. The English Football Association said East Bengal was the best club in Asia in their 1951–52 almanac. In 1953, the club was invited to play in a tournament in Romania. They also toured the Soviet Union that same year.

East Bengal also won the Beighton Cup hockey tournament in 1957. They won the Bengal Hockey Association league in 1960. The club won the Rovers Cup many times in this era (1962, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1975). They also won the Durand Cup in 1952, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1970, 1972, and 1978. In 1968, they won their first Sait Nagjee football tournament and Bordoloi Trophy.

In 1970, East Bengal won the IFA Shield against PAS Club from Iran with a score of 1–0. About 60,000 fans watched this match at Eden Gardens. Later, in 1973, the club won the IFA Shield again by beating Pyongyang City SC from North Korea. In 1978, East Bengal won its first Federation Cup title.

East Bengal won the Calcutta Football League for six years in a row, from 1970 to 1975. In 1970, they won the league without letting any team score a single goal against them. East Bengal also won many times against their biggest rivals, Mohun Bagan. This included a record 5–0 win in the Kolkata Derby in 1975. That same year, East Bengal won the CFL title without losing any match. The 1970s are often called the "Shonali Doshok" (Golden Decade) for the club.

Modern Era: 1980s–2010s

The club won the Federation Cup in 1980 and again in 1985. They were the first Indian club to play in the new Asian Club Championship in 1985–86. In 1990, under coach Naeemuddin, the club won its second treble. They won the IFA Shield, the Rovers Cup, and the Durand Cup all in one season. The club also won the Stafford Cup (1986) and the McDowell's Cup (1995, 1997). In 1993, East Bengal won its first international title, the Wai Wai Cup in Nepal.

In 1996, the club became a founding member of the National Football League, India's first nationwide football league.

Nandy

Suresh

Surkumar

Mondal

Musah (C)

Silva

Duley

Bijen

D'Cunha

Bhutia

Okoro

East Bengal 2003 ASEAN Club Championship final lineup

East Bengal started the 21st century strong. They won the 2000–01 National Football League season. They were the first club to win back-to-back titles in 2002–03 and 2003–04. The club won the Federation Cup again in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012. They also won the Indian Super Cup in 2006 and 2011.

In 2003, they won their third international trophy, the 2003 ASEAN Club Championship, in Jakarta, Indonesia. East Bengal is still the only Indian football team to win a major trophy outside the country. In 2004, East Bengal also won the San Miguel International Cup in Nepal. The club was invited by Leicester City to celebrate their 120th Anniversary.

FIFA president, Joseph Blatter, visited the club on April 15, 2007. A year later, East Bengal became the first Indian football team to win against a West Asian team on foreign soil. They beat Al Wihdat SC of Jordan. East Bengal has played in the AFC Cup eight times between 2004 and 2015. They reached the semi-finals of the 2013 AFC Cup, losing to Kuwait SC.

The club holds a record for winning the Calcutta Football League title eight times in a row, from 2010 to 2017. This broke their own record of six straight wins in the 1970s. On August 1, 2019, the club celebrated its 100th year. They introduced a special centenary logo and held events with former players and coaches.

Recent Years: 2020–Present

East Bengal tent

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the football season in India. The club's investor, Quess, left in July 2020. On August 1, the club completed 100 years. In September, Shree Cement became the new investor. They bought 76 percent of the club's shares. The club's name changed to "Sporting Club East Bengal". Later that month, the club moved from the I-League to the Indian Super League. In early 2022, the club and Shree Cement ended their partnership.

Trophy cabinet of East Bengal during the 103 years of foundation day

On May 25, East Bengal announced that Emami would be their main investor. The club confirmed they would play in the 2022-23 Indian Super League season with the new investors. On July 22, the AIFF lifted a transfer ban on East Bengal. This allowed the club to sign new players. East Bengal hired Santosh Trophy-winning coach Bino George as caretaker coach. He would later become the assistant coach for the Indian Super League. They also brought in former India national football team coach Stephen Constantine as the new head coach. East Bengal FC later hired former Indian Super League champion Carles Cuadrat as their new head coach. The club won the Super Cup title in 2024. This helped them qualify for the AFC Champions League 2 play-offs.

Club Identity

Club Crest

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement affected football in India. Indian clubs stopped playing in the Calcutta Football League. During a protest march at the East Bengal Ground, fans carried flaming torches. Because of this, a hand holding a flame torch became the club's emblem. It is still used today. In 2020, East Bengal released a special crest to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Club Colours

Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co. department store in 1945

East Bengal's main colours are red and yellow. Their home kit usually has a red and yellow jersey with black shorts. The away kit colours change each year. The founders chose these colours after the club was formed. They saw a red and gold shirt at the Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co. department store in Chowringhee, Kolkata. They liked it and decided on those colours for the club's jersey. It cost ₹80 in 1920, which was a lot of money back then. These colours have been a part of the club ever since.

Traditional kit

Centenary year kit

Kit Sponsors

Club Supporters

Smoke show during a CFL match against NBP Rainbow at East Bengal Ground

East Bengal supporters at Salt Lake Stadium during the Kolkata Derby in 2022 Durand Cup

East Bengal is mainly supported by people known as Bangals. These are people who moved from the eastern part of Bengal. There are about 30 to 40 million supporters in India and other countries. In October 2020, East Bengal was voted the most popular football club in India in an AFC poll. They received about 49% of the votes.

East Bengal supporters waving flags during a Calcutta Football League match at the East Bengal Ground in July 2023.

East Bengal Ultras is the club's main supporters' group. It started in 2013. It was the first "ultras" group in India. This group has achieved many new things. Even though some people were unsure about them at first, they now see how the group helps Indian football.

East Bengal the Real Power is India's first registered fan club. It was started on November 15, 2006. It is East Bengal's largest fan club. At first, it was mostly an online group. Later, it became a full supporters' group.

Club Rivalries

Kolkata Derby

2019–20 season Kolkata Derby at the Salt Lake Stadium

East Bengal has a very strong rivalry with Mohun Bagan. Mohun Bagan is mainly supported by people native to West Bengal. The matches between these two clubs are called the Kolkata Derby. The Kolkata Derby is like the Old Firm Derby in Scotland. This is because of its social and economic importance. It is one of the oldest rivalries in sports worldwide. It started in the 1920s.

These clubs are rivals because they have competed fiercely for over a hundred years. They are the two most successful clubs in India. Both have won over 190 titles. After India became independent, Bengal was divided in 1947. This led to many Bengali immigrants moving from the eastern part of Bengal. This caused social and economic problems in many states. It created rivalries in jobs, businesses, schools, and even on the football field. This rivalry became very strong. The Kolkata Derby became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. People from all over India and the world would watch. It was a way for them to connect with their culture after the division. The Kolkata Derby usually has over 60,000 fans at each match. It is one of the most watched sports events in India. Fans of both clubs show great love for their teams. They do this with chants and by displaying large banners called tifos. The Kolkata Derby holds a record of 130,000 spectators. This is the most attended sports event ever in India.

Mini Derby

Tifo displaying fans of (left to right) Mohammedan, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal united as the 12th man in support for India at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in 2019.

East Bengal also has a rivalry with Mohammedan. This rivalry started in the 1930s. Mohammedan became a strong team in the Calcutta Football League. They won seven out of eight titles from 1934 to 1941. Until 1958, these three clubs—East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan—won all the CFL titles. They were called the Big Three of Maidan. They also competed for titles in other big tournaments.

The rivalry used to have a religious background. Mohammedan was a club mainly for Muslims. This led to Hindus supporting Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. By the 1960s, this religious tension became less important. Mohammedan started signing non-Muslim players. However, the club also lost its top position in Indian football. After national tournaments like the Federation Cup and National Football League started, Mohammedan often played in lower leagues. So, they rarely met Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in major tournaments. Mohammedan won the I-league in the 2023–24 season. They were promoted to the ISL. Unlike the fierce East Bengal-Mohun Bagan rivalry, matches involving Mohammedan and Mohun Bagan or East Bengal are called the Mini Kolkata Derby.

Club Stadiums

The club has played in several stadiums in Kolkata, Howrah, and Barasat. This includes the Eden Gardens, which is now only used for cricket. The first ground the club used was Kumartuli Park in north Kolkata.

Salt Lake Stadium

Salt Lake Stadium

The Salt Lake Stadium is also known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK). It is a large stadium in Kolkata, built in 1984. Most of East Bengal's home games are played here. The stadium used to hold 85,000 people. Now, its capacity is 68,000.

East Bengal Ground

East Bengal Ground

The East Bengal Ground is in Kolkata. It is the club's historic home ground. The stadium is in the Maidan (Kolkata) area, near Fort William and Eden Gardens. This stadium is mostly used for Calcutta Football League matches. It is also used by the club's academy, women's, and hockey teams. The stadium can hold 23,500 people.

Other Grounds

Barasat Stadium is also used by the club for some local matches. This happens when Salt Lake Stadium or East Bengal Ground cannot be used. Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri has also hosted club football matches many times. It hosted the 2012 Federation Cup. Kalyani Stadium, near Kolkata, was East Bengal's home ground during the 2019–20 I-League season. The team also trains at one of the VYBK practice grounds.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 3 DF Provat Lakra 4 DF Anwar Ali 5 DF Lalchungnunga 6 MF Jeakson Singh 8 MF Madih Talal 9 FW Dimitrios Diamantakos 10 FW Cleiton Silva (captain) 11 FW Nandhakumar Sekar 12 DF Mohammad Rakip 13 GK Prabhsukhan Singh Gill 14 FW David Lalhlansanga 19 DF Hijazi Maher 21 MF Saúl Crespo (3rd captain)

No. Position Player 22 DF Nishu Kumar 23 MF Souvik Chakrabarti (4th captain) 24 GK Debjit Majumder 29 FW Naorem Mahesh Singh (vice-captain) 30 MF Vanlalpeka Guite 33 DF Gursimrat Singh Gill 35 MF Gurnaj singh Garwal 38 DF Hira Mondal 44 DF Hector Yuste 62 MF Aman CK 82 FW Vishnu PV 84 FW Sayan Banerjee 88 MF Mark Zothanpuia

Players from Reserve Squad

No. Position Player 27 GK Aditya Patra 51 GK Kamaludheeen AK 54 DF Adil Aman 58 MF Sanjib Ghosh 59 FW Jesin TK 61 MF Tanmay Das 63 DF Monotosh Chakladar 64 MF Naseeb Rahaman 66 MF Shyamal Beshra 80 MF Ajad Sahim 86 MF Muhammed Roshal PP 90 DF Joseph Justin

Club Personnel

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Óscar Bruzón
Assistant coach	Bino George
Goalkeeping coach	Javier Pinillos
Fitness coach	Javier Sánchez
Physiotherapist	Senen Alvarez
Performance & video analyst	Aromal Vijayan
Team doctor	Mustufa Poonawalla
Masseur	Rajesh Basak, Robin Das

Corporate Team

Position	Name
CEO	Namrata Parekh
CTO	Amoy Ghoshal
Media manager	Ritam Basu
Team photographer	Nikhil Patil
Operations and accreditation manager	Aritra Dutta

Club Management

Role	Name
President	Murari Lal Lohia
Chief advisor	Pronab Dasgupta
Vice-presidents	Ajoy Krishna Chatterjee, Shankar Bagri, Subhasish Chakraborty, Kalyan Majumdar
General secretary	Rupak Saha
Assistant general secretary	Dr. Santi Ranjan Dasgupta
Finance secretary	Sadananda Mukherjee
Treasurer	Debdas Samajdar
Football secretary	Saikat Ganguly
Cricket secretary	Sanjib Acharya
Hockey secretary	Prabir Kumar Dafaddar
Athletic secretary	Partha Pratim Roy
Tennis secretary	Indranil Ghosh
Ground secretary	Rajat Guha
Executive committee members	Jhulan Goswami Molly Ganguly Sri Subir Ganguly Santosh Bhattacharya Diptendu Mohan Bose Siddharta Sarcar Debabrata Sarkar Birendra Kumar Saha Dipankar Chakraborty Biswajit Mazumdar Tapan Roy Suman Dasgupta Aritra Roy Chowdhury Tamal Ghosal Beni Madhab Bhattacharya Manab Paul Subhasish Dasgupta Saroj Bhattacharjee Debasish Bose Bikash Dutta Biplab Paul

Board of Directors for Emami East Bengal FC Pvt. Ltd.

Emami Group	East Bengal
Aditya V Agarwal	Debabrata Sarkar
Manish Goenka	Rupak Saha
Sandeep Agrawal	Sadananda Mukherjee
Gatum Jatia
S. N. Paul
Saurabh Dasgupta
Manoj Agarwal

Club Records

Indian Super League Records

East Bengal FC league record by opponent

NFL/I-League Records

East Bengal FC league record by opponent

Asian Competitions

Club Honours

East Bengal Club has won many trophies both in India and internationally. They have won the National Football League 3 times. They have also won the Federation Cup 8 times. The club holds the record for winning the Calcutta Football League 40 times. They also have a record 29 IFA Shield titles. So far, the club has won over 150 trophies.

•      Record
• ^S Shared record

East Bengal Club Honours

Type	Tournament	No.	Years	Ref.
AFC Central Asia Qualifier
AFC	Coca-Cola Cup	1	1985-86
Friendly Invitational Tournaments
AFF	ASEAN Club Championship	1S	2003
ANFA	Wai Wai Cup	1	1993
	San Miguel International Cup	1	2004
Total		4
Domestic (Major)
National Football League		3	2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04
Federation Cup/Super Cup		9	1978, 1980, 1985, 1996, 2007, 2009–10, 2010, 2012, 2024
Indian Super Cup		3	1997, 2006, 2011
Calcutta Football League		40	1942, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1961, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024
IFA Shield		29	1943, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002–03, 2012
Durand Cup		16	1951, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1970, 1972,1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2004
Rovers Cup		10	1949, 1962, 1967, 1969,1972. 1973, 1975, 1980, 1990, 1994
Total		109
Domestic (Minor and Other Trophies)
DCM Trophy		7	1950, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1973, 1974, 1983
Bordoloi Trophy		5	1968, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1992
All Airlines Gold Cup		7	1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001
Darjeeling Gold Cup		5	1976, 1981, 1982, 1985, 2018
McDowell's Cup		3	1995, 1997, 2000
Sait Nagjee Football Tournament		2	1968, 1986
Stafford Cup		2	1981, 1986
Sanjay Gandhi Gold Cup		1	1984
Kalinga Cup		1	1993
SSS Trophy		2	1989, 1991
Independence Day Cup		1	2002
Dr. H. K. Mookherjee Shield		2	1957, 1961
ATPA Shield		1	1992
P. K. Nair Gold Cup		1	1956
Kerala FA Shield		1	1968
Mohammedan Sporting Platinum Jubilee Cup		1	2010
Hercules Cup		1	1920
Khogendra Cup		1	1921
Chandannager Cup		1	1920
Sachin Memorial Shield		1	1921
Cooch Behar Cup		5	1924, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1960
Trades Cup		4	1960, 1966, 1975, 1976
Gladstone Cup		1	1929
Griffith Shield		2	1929, 1946
Lady Hardinge Shield		1	1940
Lakshmibilas Cup		3	1920, 1968, 1969
Bardwan Cup		1	1938
S.C.I.S.T. Cup		1	1947
William Younger Cup		2	1969, 1976
Girija Shield		1	1942
Raja Memorial Shield		1	1960
Madhyamgram MLA Cup		1	2023
Kulodakanta Memorial Shield		1	2023
Total		70
All Total		183m

• ^m Including minor trophies

Affiliated Clubs

The following club used to be connected with East Bengal:

• Leicester City (2002–2003)

The following club is currently connected with East Bengal:

• Sheikh Russel KC (2022–present)

See also

In Spanish: East Bengal Football Club para niños

• East Bengal in international football
• East Bengal league record by opponent
• List of East Bengal matches against Foreign teams
• List of foreign players for East Bengal
• List of East Bengal records and statistics
• Indian football clubs in Asian competitions