The possibility of traditional powerhouses East Bengal and Mohun Bagan joining the ISL in the future isn’t keeping Sourav Ganguly up at night. Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian Cricket team, is also co-owner of ISL side Atletico de Kolkata, a club who derives much of its fanbase from these two popular clubs of West Bengal.
Atletico de Kolkata has grown to become one of the most successful ISL sides in its short 2-year history. The team from the City of Joy were the winners of the inaugural edition of the competition and again went on to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition last year, only to go down to eventual champions Chennaiyin FC in the semi-finals.
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The team who has enjoyed crowds of 60,000 and above in most of their games for the first two seasons, however, might have to think about creating a fan base of their own if the two giants of Indian football are granted entry into the ISL. The AIFF are seeking to expand the ISL to 10 teams next year whilst also promoting the league to the stature of the primary league of the country.
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Rumours have been rife in recent times that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its marketing partners Football Sports Development (FSDL) have been mooting the plan to include the two in the upcoming season of the ISL. Even Nita Ambani had opined earlier, supporting the Kolkata club’s aim to be part of the ISL.
However, Ganguly seems unfazed by the challenge, at least, for the moment.
"Let that happen first, we will see then. I am only thinking about my club. I am ATK," Ganguly said. "In the last semi-final we had around 75,000 people. See when Brazil play Argentina the stadium is automatically full. I am sure when Mohun Bagan take on ATK or East Bengal play us, there will be a lot of crowd in the stands."
It has also been reported in recent times that Mohun Bagan has approached Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan regarding buying a stake in the club. Khan is one of the majority shareholders in the Kolkata-based IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
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"It will be good for the club. Anything that he (Shah Rukh) gets associated with is always the best," said Ganguly when asked about the rumours.
Atletico are facing another worrisome situation regarding their games at their temporary home ground, the Rabindra Sarobar stadium. ATK had to shift from their traditional home ground, the Yuba Bharati Kirirangan (Salt Lake Stadium), as it is now undergoing renovation for the upcoming U-17 World Cup.
However, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed recently by environmental activist Subhas Datta at the eastern zone bench of the National Green Tribunal urging the courts to prevent ATK from hosting the games at night without proper environmental monitoring.
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