Absolute scenes of joy and jubilation engulfed the East Bengal camp as hundreds of supporters flooded the club premises, smearing each other in the club’s iconic red and gold colours to celebrate the arrival of the Indian Super League title.
The celebrations appeared to have carried on uninterrupted from the final whistle of East Bengal’s last league match against Inter Kashi FC on Thursday night at Kishore Bharati Stadium, where the Red and Gold brigade finally returned as champions of the country’s top league after a wait of 22 long years.
The last time East Bengal supporters celebrated a triumph of similar magnitude was when the club won back-to-back National Football League titles in 2003 and 2004.
Oscar Bruzon emerged as the architect of this historic achievement, assembling a side capable of achieving the feat in an era largely dominated by arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
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“This is not an ordinary Indian club that simply gathers 500 or 1,000 people for chants and songs,” Bruzon said.
“East Bengal is a legacy passed from father to son, and from son to grandson. It is a community club where thousands of people live and breathe it every day. That emotional connection deeply influences how we work, how hungry we are, and how committed we remain,” he added.
Comparisons with Arsenal FC’s long-awaited English Premier League triumph inevitably surfaced during the celebrations. “Our triumph feels similar to what Arsenal achieved in the Premier League after such a long wait,” said Debabrata Sarkar, one of the key figures in East Bengal’s administration.
By virtue of this triumph, East Bengal FC became the first club in the country to secure qualification for continental competitions next season— in both the men’s and women’s categories — with the latter recently clinching the Indian Women’s League title, completing a historic double for the Kolkata giant.
Published on May 22, 2026