East Bengal to miss out on ISL spot as organisers decide to continue with 10-team format, says report

In a meeting with club representatives on Friday afternoon, Organisers of Indian Super League (ISL), Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) indicated that they are not looking to add any more teams for the upcoming edition  of the League. According to a report by Goal, this could indicate that they are not willing to float a tender for a new franchise. This could prove detrimental for East Bengal, who had expressed their interest to play the ISL in the coming season, the report added. Following East Bengal’s departure from former investors Quess Corp, an East Bengal official on Sunday had said that the club’s tie up with an investor has reached an advanced state, thus brightening their chances of joining the Indian Super League. Arch rivals Mohun Bagan have already joined the top-tier ISL by forming a new entity with reigning champions ATK. The decision by ISL means that there could be a temporary end to the legendary rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, with the latter set to debut in the ISL this season. Meanwhile the venue for the 2020-21 season will be declared on 7 August. As per the report, Goa and Kerala are believed to be leading the race with the former being more likely to get the nod.