East Bengal Break 22-Year Jinx, Illish Finally Get Better of Chingri Again

In Bengal, football is never just a sport. Long before children understand politics or cinema, they inherit a football identity.

One side grows up with red-and-gold emotions, the other with green-and-maroon pride. East Bengal or Mohun Bagan. Illish or Chingri. The rivalry is passed down almost like family tradition.

Grandfathers still narrate stories of PK Banerjee. Fathers remember Bhaichung Bhutia carrying East Bengal through iconic nights. The younger generation now argues over Cleiton Silva, Dimitrios Petratos and derby memes on social media. But for East Bengal supporters, the emotion over the last two decades often came wrapped in frustration and heartbreak.

While the Kolkata derby never lost its intensity, success increasingly tilted towards Mohun Bagan. League titles, ISL finals and continental campaigns kept arriving for the green-and-maroon side, while East Bengal fans survived mostly on fading memories and one painful question that echoed every season: when would they become champions again?

That answer finally arrived on May 21, 2026.

As the final whistle blew at Kishore Bharati Krirangan following East Bengal’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Inter Kashi, the release of emotion was immediate. Supporters poured onto the pitch. Oscar Bruzon and Youssef Ezzejjari were hoisted onto shoulders as moshals illuminated the Kolkata sky once more.

Social media quickly turned into a flood of raw red-and-gold emotion. One supporter posted a video looking towards the sky and saying, “Baba, amra abar champion holam” — “Father, we are champions again.” His father had passed away years earlier without witnessing East Bengal win another national league title after the 2003-04 National Football League triumph under Subhash Bhowmick.

Outside the stadium, elderly supporters broke down in tears. For many, this was more than a football victory. It was the ending of a wait that stretched across generations.

Children who last saw East Bengal win the league in 2004 are now adults with careers, marriages and families of their own. Indian football itself transformed completely during that period. The National Football League disappeared. The I-League arrived. Then came the glamour and chaos of the ISL era. Through all those changes, East Bengal’s wait for another major league crown somehow continued.

There were moments when hope briefly returned.

Trevor Morgan’s East Bengal side brought unforgettable AFC Cup nights and attacking football that made fans dream again. The near misses of 2010-11 and 2013-14 hurt deeply, while the collapse in 2014-15, when Mohun Bagan edged them to the title, became another scar for supporters. Yet perhaps the most painful season came in 2018-19, when Alejandro Menéndez’s entertaining side missed the I-League title by just one point.

Every revival ended with another heartbreak.

Then came East Bengal’s difficult ISL transition. Ownership changes, investor disputes, coaching instability and identity concerns left the club constantly rebuilding. Robbie Fowler’s arrival initially brought excitement, but the team struggled while Mohun Bagan rapidly emerged as a powerhouse after merging with ATK.

The contrast was brutal. Mohun Bagan collected stars and trophies, while East Bengal cycled through managers, transfer setbacks and incomplete projects. Yet the supporters never abandoned the club. Derby days still painted Salt Lake red and gold. Moshals still burned. The chants never stopped.

That is why Oscar Bruzon’s achievement feels particularly significant.

More than tactics or formations, Bruzon restored belief. His East Bengal side played fearless football. Youssef Ezzejjari solved long-standing problems in attack, Mohammed Rashid added intensity in midfield and Miguel Figueira brought flair and swagger back into the team. Indian players like Bipin Singh delivered in crucial moments, while youngsters such as PV Vishnu and Edmund became crowd favourites.

Most importantly, East Bengal stopped looking like a club trapped by its past.

The symbolism of the final league table also carried weight. East Bengal finished champions. Mohun Bagan Super Giant ended runners-up. For Indian football, that balance matters.

Historically, the sport in this country has always thrived when both Kolkata giants compete equally for trophies and dominance. East Bengal’s revival does not just end their own suffering; it restores one of Indian football’s greatest rivalries to its full force again.

And perhaps nothing captured the emotion of the night better than the message written on the players’ celebratory shirts after lifting the trophy:

“Chilam, achhi, thakbo.”

“We were there. We are here. We will remain.”