Mohun Bagan’s identity should remain intact: Bhaichung Bhutia - Exclusive Interview
With ATK acquiring majority stakes in Mohun Bagan recently, the football scene in India is looking at a huge change but Bhaichung Bhutia believes that it can be a win-win situation for both the sides.
Former Indian football team skipper Bhaichung Bhutia is no stranger to clubs from Kolkata. From playing for heavyweights like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal to serving as an advisor to Indian Super League (ISL) side ATK, the celebrated striker has done it all. With ATK acquiring majority stakes in Mohun Bagan recently, the football scene in India is looking at a huge change but Bhutia believes that it can be a win-win situation for both the sides.
“I think this should be a win-win situation. Now it depends on how the clubs can utilise the resources. Mohun Bagan have been struggling for some time now when it comes to getting investors. They now have a club like ATK, which according to me is the best run club in the ISL right now, and with Sanjiv Goenka at the helm, it should be a good situation for both the teams,” Bhutia told Hindustan Times.
The RPSG Group, which owns and runs ATK, became an 80 percent majority shareholder with Mohun Bagan owning the remaining 20 percent shares.The merged club will come into existence from June 1, 2020 and will compete in the ISL 2020-21 but Bhutia was clear that the identity of Mohun Bagan should be preserved.
“I think they have bought Mohun Bagan along with their identity and they should totally keep that intact. The name, the logo and the green maroon jersey have to be there,” the former India skipper emphasised.
Mohun Bagan, which was established in 1899, boasts of a massive legacy and their victory in the 1911 IFA Shield by defeating a British side has a permanent position in the Indian football folklore. While they are moving to ISL, city rivals East Bengal have not announced any intentions to follow suit. While the Kolkata Derby’s future remains uncertain, Bhutia believes that East Bengal will also make the jump to ISL in the near future.
“Sooner of later, East Bengal will join the ISL. It will not be a problem. It is a natural move for the club and I believe that soon East Bengal will also move to the ISL,”
“Clubs need good corporates to come in and I think this kind of mergers becomes the norm in the future. It should become an example and they have a chance to become an ideal club if they manage it properly,” he concluded.