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East Bengal’s ISL preparations suffered a setback after footballers boycotted training over unpaid salaries amidst financial uncertainty after Emami’s exit.
East Bengal are coming off a 2-3 defeat to Al-Shorta (Picture credit: X @eastbengal_fc)
East Bengal players on Wednesday boycotted their training ahead of their Indian Super League opener against Churchill Brothers due to unpaid salaries, as the defending champions keep looking for an investor after Emami’s departure.
Wednesday afternoon at the Centre of Excellence in Rajarhat offered a picture of an almost deserted training ground, more reminiscent of Mohammedan Sporting than East Bengal, according to a report in Nowadays.
Over the past two seasons, Mohammedan Sporting footballers have boycotted training sessions over unpaid salaries. A similar situation at East Bengal, however, would have been tough to imagine.
East Bengal footballers have continued to turn up for games despite salary delays, but frustration over the mounting unpaid dues has been growing within the team. That discontent came to the fore with a training boycott ahead of their game against Churchill Brothers.
Although none of the footballers addressed the issue, the silent protest by Mohammed Rashid, Anwar Ali and Edmund Lalrindika reflects the growing discontent within the East Bengal camp.
East Bengal are yet to bag a new investor after their split with Emami, leaving club officials to cover expenses from their own pockets. Despite the financial uncertainty, East Bengal won the Durand Cup and delivered a brilliant performance against Al Shorta at home in the AFC Champions League Two.
Although Antonio Habas’ team lost the game, they dominated proceedings for long spells. Preparations for the ISL were scheduled to start on Wednesday, with the footballers arriving at the training ground in the afternoon.
But the footballers didn’t take the field for training. Instead, they held a meeting among themselves before leaving the ground one by one without taking part in practice. None of the players made any public statement on the matter.
It was just afterwards that their discontent over unpaid salaries came to light. East Bengal will start their ISL campaign against Churchill Brothers on Sunday, October 18, leaving little time for preparations.
Habas has had just four days to prepare the team and the footballers’ decision to boycott training has further complicated matters for the coach. With the team scheduled to leave for Goa on Friday, they will have just two days of training at home before the game.
After the footballers’ move, East Bengal officials have stepped in to resolve the issue. Efforts are underway on a war footing to clear the outstanding salaries, with reports indicating that the footballers could receive part of their pending dues on Thursday.
With the ISL season fast approaching, East Bengal are scrambling to contain the crisis at the last minute. Club officials, however, remain optimistic that the investor issue will be resolved within the next two days.
The defending ISL champions are keen to start their campaign with a win. How the current impasse is resolved remains to be seen.
October 15, 2026, 3:25 PM IST
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