Emami East Bengal’s party after their maiden ISL triumph on Thursday shifted from the Kishore Bharati Stadium to the club tent on Friday. Players, fans, and officials all turned up at the East Bengal tent to celebrate the men’s team’s first national-level league title after 2004.

The question now is, will coach Oscar Bruzon change his mind and stay at the club?

Earlier this month, the 48-year-old Spaniard had said he would leave the club at the end of the season. East Bengal still had four matches to play. Two days after his announcement, the team defeated Mumbai City FC away 2-1, hope of winning the title renewed.

“Regarding my future, I will say the same thing that I’ve been saying throughout the season — I will not make any move till June,” Bruzon, who is leaving on a vacation on Saturday, said during the post-match media interaction on Thursday.

“If by June 1, the club has a proper plan, then I will be very happy to sit and talk,” he said.

“But if the club itself does not have clarity or planning after June, then it’s not only difficult for me but for the whole group of players and coaches. Without planning, there cannot be discussions.”

There is a fear that ISL may see another round of uncertainty like last year. Several franchises have pushed for a club-led operational and commercial model, while lack of clarity over a roadmap has stalled player contracts and renewals across teams.

This year’s ISL season was truncated, with each team playing just 13 matches.

“We need the ISL calendar first. I cannot speak hypothetically right now. It’s difficult to say anything (on Bruzon’s future) at this stage,”
Emami Group’s Vibhash Agarwal said.

Bruzon had launched a scathing attack on the club officials, not the team management, two months ago, and recently likened three former East Bengal footballers to cancer. But now, with this ISL title, he is being seen as a messiah by the fans.

“On behalf of the coaching staff, I want to thank Emami for their support and belief
in the project,” Bruzon said
on Thursday.

Memorable win

East Bengal midfielder Souvik Chakraborty had won the
ISL with Hyderabad FC in 2021-22, but rated Thursday’s triumph more memorable than his first time.

“Nothing like this. The passion of the fans in East Bengal is on another level,” Chakraborty said on Friday. “In Hyderabad FC, it was just okay. This is out of the world. The pressure of playing for a club like East Bengal is different. You will not find anything like this anywhere in India.”

“You cannot buy this feeling,” goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill said.

Gill’s superb save in the last minute against Mohun Bagan Super Giant striker Jamie Maclaren on
May 17 would be remembered for many years. That save
also kept East Bengal in
contention.

“If you say that save helped us to win the title, then it will be unfair to all the players who gave their best throughout the season,” he said.