East Bengal Club has recently announced their decision to part ways with their current head coach, Stephen Constantine, following the Hero Super Cup. The Kolkata-based team has lost 13 of its 20 games under Constantine’s leadership, ending ninth in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Aditya Agarwal, a co-director of the team, stated that the decision to change the coach was made to provide the players with a better environment. The team has already started making plans for the Super Cup, which will take place in Kerala in April.
Constantine was hired at the beginning of the season with the possibility of an additional year. However, since most competitor teams have long-term contracts with elite players, East Bengal has had difficulty luring away major names throughout transfer windows.
The search for Constantine’s replacement is currently underway, and Josep Gombau, who was fired from sixth-placed Odisha FC after they lost to eventual ISL champions Mohun Bagan in a semi-final play-off, is rumoured to be the favourite to succeed him in 2017. Other experienced pros, such as Antonio Lopez Habas, are also being considered.
East Bengal Club Parts Ways with Head Coach Stephen Constantine
The East Bengal club executives and investors have also decided to increase the funds allocated for player recruiting. They also agreed to meet again to finalize their plans for the upcoming campaign. The team intends to petition the ISL to request the implementation of a draft system or an auction modelled after the IPL, where players might be offered at new, open prices.
In addition to the coaching change, East Bengal club investors have also decided to write a letter to ISL organizers FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) to hold an IPL-like draft again so that the club can have the benefit of choosing Indian players.
According to Agarwal, the pool of Indian players is very small, and most of them are already contracted with other clubs. The team management believes that most of the other teams have an advantage over East Bengal in terms of squad construction and player hiring because they are already a part of the ISL.
East Bengal Club’s decision to part ways with Stephen Constantine after the Hero Super Cup marks the end of his reign at the club. The team’s search for a new coach is currently underway, and they are determined to build a stronger team for the next campaign.
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