Scenario I: East Bengal defender Marti Crespi has already been informed that the club is done with him. The player says either the club pays his salary till May 31, the day his contract ends, or allow him to stay.
Crespi now turns up for training at the Salt Lake Stadium practice ground every day. Coach Mario Riviera doesn’t allow him to train with the team. So the Spaniard does some jogging, stretching and leaves.
Scenario II: Angered by club’s dismal performance in the ongoing I-League — East Bengal are now placed 10th in the 11-team league with 11 points from 10 matches — the fans have turned their back on the team.
So less then 50 tickets were sold from the club tent for the match against Punjab FC to be held at the Kalyani Stadium on Thursday.
It’s a sad scenario and didn’t miss rival coach Yan Law’s attention. “East Bengal are in a difficult situation and this is time the supporters should rally around the players. I am born and brought up in this city and would want East Bengal to do well,” Law said during Wednesday’s pre-match media conference held at the club tent for the first time this season.
Mario though keeps on painting a bright picture and believes a win will change the scenario. “I am under no pressure. At this point in time, we badly need some luck. One win will change everything,” the East Bengal coach said.
“When a team is in the middle of a slump in form, the confidence level automatically goes down. The players tend to make mistakes. Yes our players are making mistakes. But I am confident they will overcome this problem.”
East Bengal, meanwhile, have decided to sign Spaniard Victor Perez Alonso. The midfielder has formerly plied his trade on Indian soil for Bengaluru FC in 2018 after Edu Garcia was sold to the Chinese club Zhejiang Lucheng. He made a single appearance for Bengaluru FC. Now the question is who would get the boot? Will it be Crespi or Kassim Aidara?
When asked, Mario had this to say: “We have six foreigners. There is a reason why Crespi is practising separately but I am not in a position to divulge anything more.”