Kolkata, May 22: On a wintry January evening two-and-a-half years ago, East Bengal finally ended a 12-year wait for silverware as skipper Cleiton Silva struck in extra time to seal a dramatic Super Cup triumph over Odisha FC.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed the sleeping giant of Indian football had finally stirred back to life.But the euphoria proved short-lived. East Bengal soon crashed out of the Durand Cup and the AFC Champions League preliminary stage, while their struggles in the Indian Super League continued unabated.Their football lacked fluidity and imagination. Injuries repeatedly derailed momentum, while the team under then coach Carles Cuadrat often appeared overly reliant on set-pieces and predictable attacking patterns.
Another rebuild became inevitable. This time, however, the changes ran deeper, and they transformed everything.When Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon arrived at the club in October 2024, East Bengal were still searching for stability in a league where they had repeatedly struggled to establish themselves.The club had rebuilt squads multiple times since entering the ISL, but Bruzon gave them things they had lacked for years – identity, belief and fearlessness.
Known for his strong football philosophy and for ending Abahani Dhaka’s dominance in Bangladesh with Bashundhara Kings, Bruzon arrived with prior experience of Indian football through his stints at Sporting Clube de Goa, Mumbai FC and Mumbai City FC.
He immediately began reshaping the squad in his own image. Out went familiar names like Cleiton, Dimitrios Diamantakos and Madih Talal and in came players suited to Bruzon’s fluid and aggressive style.
Miguel Figueira, Bruzon’s trusted talisman from Bashundhara Kings, became the creative engine of the team.Mohammed Rashid added control and aggression in midfield, Kevin Sibille brought calmness at the back, while Youssef Ezzejjari emerged as the side’s clinical finisher after replacing Hamid Ahadad amid uncertainty surrounding the ISL season.Bruzon’s first signs of impact were felt in the AFC Challenge League where East Bengal topped their group and reached the quarterfinals despite modest expectations.Last season too, despite injuries, suspensions and working largely with a squad assembled before his arrival, East Bengal finished ninth with 28 points — one of their better campaigns in recent years.This season, however, everything finally came together.The defining moment perhaps came during a difficult phase when pressure had begun mounting after a 1-2 defeat to Jamshedpur FC, a goalless draw against FC Goa and a frustrating 1-1 stalemate at home against Kerala Blasters.East Bengal hammered Mohammedan Sporting 7-0 and never really looked back after that. They went on to win four of their next five matches, while a tense 1-1 draw against Mohun Bagan in the Kolkata derby felt like a victory.And when the biggest night arrived at Kishore Bharati Krirangan, they showed exactly why they had become champions.
Against Inter Kashi in Thursday’s finale, East Bengal fell behind early after Alfred Planas struck in the 14th minute. But this East Bengal side no longer panicked.
Ezzejjari equalised soon after half-time, before Mohammed Rashid produced the moment that will forever live in East Bengal folklore with the decisive goal in the 72nd minute.(PTI)
