Sporting Club East Bengal announced Arindam Bhattacharja as their skipper for the upcoming ISL season. The Kolkata-born goalkeeper has most notably played for ATK Mohun Bagan from 2018-2021. Along with this announcement, East Bengal also selected Tomislav Mrcela as their vice-captain.
Bhattacharja had a stellar season with ATK Mohun Bagan last season. He won the Golden Glove award for keeping ten clean sheets in 23 matches. Despite the Mariners reaching 40 points, they were pipped to the title by Mumbai City FC. Bhattacharja has also represented Churchill Brothers, Pune City FC and Mumbai City FC in his 14-year-long career.
“It’s a huge honour for me and especially for my family because everyone back home is an East Bengal supporter. I am looking forward to living up to everyone’s expectations and performing to my fullest,”
said the goalkeeper.
Another new arrival, Tomislav Mrcela, was selected for a leadership role at East Bengal. The Australian centre back is a seasoned campaigner known for his wealth of experience and communication skills at the heart of the defence. East Bengal head coach Jose Manuel Diaz called him a ‘natural leader’.
Jose Manuel Diaz had generous words lined up for Bhattarcharja, stating that Arindam has been in Indian football for a long time and knows what it is to lead a club like East Bengal. He is convinced that the club has chosen two proper leaders in Bhattacharja and Mrcela.
East Bengal had a disappointing season in 2020-21. They finished 9th, claiming just 17 points off 20 games. They will want to put things right this year with a change in captaincy. They will start their season against Jamshedpur FC at Tilak Maidan Stadium on November 21.
