Battered SC East Bengal’s ISL VIII season has already gone haywire. Four points from eight matches, 18 goals conceded till now. They are last in the 11-team league. And as if that was not enough, now there is news of discontentment in the SC East Bengal dressing room.
The players and the coaching staff are believed at be at loggerheads and that’s not helping the team’s cause. There was a heated argument between Spanish coach Jose Manuel Diaz and two footballers after the 0-2 loss against NorthEast United FC on December 17.
The two senior pros — one of them had a good game when India hosted Bangladesh in a World Cup qualifier in October 2019 — almost came to blows with Diaz at the Nehru Stadium dressing room in Fatorda.
One of the warring players was reportedly livid after Diaz did not bring him in place of a foreign signing, who picked up an injury in the first half.
“Yes, there was an argument after the match. One of the players was upset because he didn’t get any match-time against NorthEast (United FC),” a source told The Telegraph from Margao on Friday.
Interestingly, that player’s name was missing from the 20-man squad for the Hyderabad FC match on Thursday. The other footballer was believed to be angry after he was blamed for the goals SC East Bengal conceded against the Khalid Jamil-coached side.
“Everyone is feeling the heat after the disappointing performances so far,” the source added.
A couple of days back, two members of the coaching staff allegedly had a run-in too. “Clearly things have gone out of control. Last year also SC East Bengal had a horrendous campaign, but off the field the situation was not this bad,” the person said.
Diaz said the SC East Bengal board signed the players and he had no role to play. “The squad was made by the board. We didn’t take any decisions with respect to the squad. Every day we are working hard to improve our level,” he said after the 1-1- draw against Hyderabad FC on Thursday.
Diaz was happy with the players’ performance against Hyderabad FC. “We want to win every match. Hyderabad FC were in very good shape, they are a very good team. But we did a good job,” he said.
