East Bengal FC were crowned champions of the Indian Super League for the first time here on Thursday, ending a 22-year-old title drought in the country's top-tier competition.
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KOLKATA — East Bengal FC were crowned champions of the Indian Super League for the first time here on Thursday, ending a 22-year-old title drought in the country's top-tier competition and quenching their passionate fans' yearning for silverware after a thrilling five-horse race to the top prize.
East Bengal, one of the country's most decorated football clubs alongside its arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant, emerged triumphant after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Inter Kashi at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, even as Mohun Bagan, another contender for the prize alongside Mumbai City FC, Punjab City and Bengaluru FC heading into the decisive final round of fixtures, rallied to beat Sporting Club Delhi 2-1 at Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
Mumbai FC beat Punjab FC 2-0 in their face-off, while Odisha FC and Jamshedpur FC played out a goalless draw in an inconsequential game.
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Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan ended their campaign with 26 points from 13 matches but the former won on super goal difference of +19 compared to their rivals' +13.
Former winners Mumbai City and Bengaluru FC settled for the third and fourth place respectively after a dramatic final day's play of the truncated league.
East Bengal, though, were made to work hard until the last minute after Alfred's brilliant first-time finish put Inter Kashi in lead on the 15th minute.
After missing multiple chances to equalise before the break, Oscar Bruzon's transformed side found the much-needed equaliser in the 50th minute through striker Youssef Ezzejjari, who is also the winner of the Golden Boot after finishing as the league's highest goal-scorer with 11 strikes from 13 matches.
Mohammed Rashid scored East Bengal's second goal in the 73rd minute as the Kolkata heavyweights turned the game around in stunning fashion.
While they found themselves on the backfoot initially, East Bengal dominated possession for large spells once they found their mojo and repeatedly pushed numbers forward in search of the breakthrough.
Their attacking approach stretched the Inter Kashi defence, while the visitors attempted to stay compact and threaten on the counterattack. Every attack from the home side was cheered wildly by the crowd, who grew increasingly anxious as updates filtered in from other title-race matches around the country.
Inter Kashi, despite enduring an off-field financial crisis and a difficult debut ISL campaign, showed admirable resilience. Their players defended bravely and refused to surrender easily under the pressure of a hostile atmosphere and a title-deciding occasion.
The visitors frustrated East Bengal for phases of the contest, forcing the league leaders to remain patient and disciplined.
East Bengal last won the top-tier domestic league title during the 2003–04 season of the then National Football League under the guidance of late Subhash Bhowmick.
The 33-year-old Ezzejjari, who was born in Spain and represented Morocco in the youth level, thus made up for his earlier missed chances in the game.
East Bengal entered their final league game level on 23 points with Mohun Bagan at the top of the standings. However, East Bengal held a crucial advantage with a superior goal difference of +18 compared to Mohun Bagan's +13.
Three other teams -- Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC and Jamshedpur FC -- were also mathematically alive in the title race heading into the final round fixtures.
Because of administrative and structural changes, the ISL this season returned in a shortened, single-leg round-robin format consisting of 13 matches with no post-season playoffs, which meant the league table topper would be crowned the outright champions.
Bruzon's role
Head coach Bruzón deserves a lot of credit for the crown as he completely revitalised East Bengal into an aggressive, proactive, and high-intensity squad. Taking charge in late 2024, the Spanish tactician established a historic club-record unbeaten streak and instilled a fearless winning mentality, transforming a struggling team into strong championship winning outfit.
Fans celebrate triumph after painful wait
The Kishore Bharati Krirangan turned into a sea of red and gold as jubilant East Bengal FC supporters celebrated the club's maiden title.
Moments after the final whistle confirmed East Bengal as champions, thousands of fans erupted into deafening chants of "Joy East Bengal", waving giant flags, lighting flares and embracing one another in emotional scenes inside and outside the stadium.
For many fans, it was a cathartic release after more than two decades of waiting for a national league crown.
The triumph will be seen as one of the greatest moments in the club's modern history.