After a disappointing start to the season, the Red and Gold brigade took the tough decision to sack their manager Carles Cuadrat, and to appoint Óscar Bruzón as their new head coach. East Bengal have been struggling in the Indian Super League ever since their induction into the league back in 2020. Despite changing managers multiple times, the giants of Kolkata are yet to taste success in the league in the form of a play-off finish. Even though Carles Cuadrat won the Super Cup last season with the same team, the recent disappointing performances despite having one of the strongest squads on paper caused massive disappointment among the fans.

Big Spenders and Underperformers

East Bengal management went the whole hog this season, signing some big names in Indian football. The list included Dimitrios Diamantakos, last season’s ISL top scorer, and Madih Talal, the league’s top assist-maker last season. The management even secured the services of David, Anwar, Ali, Provat Lakra, Debjit Majumdar, and Jeakson Singh. However, despite having such a strong squad, East Bengal lost to Shillong Lajong in the semifinals of the Durand Cup and tasted a defeat at home to Altyn Asyr in the AFC match. The last blow came in the form of four back-to-back defeats in the ISL.

Frustrated by the debacle, disappointed fans, and mounting pressure, Cuadrat resigned, leaving the club on a hunt to find the right replacement, who could steer the team out of this crisis.

The Bruzon Gamble

Finding the perfect man for the job to replace Cuadrat was not an easy assignment for East Bengal management as the season has already begun. They finally chose Bruzón, with names such as Antonio López Habas, Albert Roca, and Ivan Vukomanović floating around. Habas was unavailable because he had already signed a contract with Inter Kashi, Vukomanović cited family reasons, while Roca didn’t want to take up a head coach role preferring instead the post of a sporting director. Bruzón is no stranger to Indian football or South Asian football. He had previously with clubs like Sporting Goa and Mumbai City. He gave Bengaluru FC in the AFC Cup when he was the manager of New Radiant SC and his statistics are impeccable in Bangladesh football. Bruzón comes with a fantastic reputation in his kitty from Bangladesh success stories.
During his tenure at Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings, Bruzón won five Bangladesh Premier League titles, three Federation Cups, and three Independence Cups. He’s easily one of the most successful managers in Bangladeshi football.

Bashundhara Kings, under Bruzón, won again against Indian clubs such as Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Odisha FC in the AFC Cup. This denoted his capability to win at the summit of South Asian football. But would this experience gain success with East Bengal?

Can Bruzon Bring The Glory Days Back?

East Bengal fans will hope that the arrival of Bruzón puts to an end all of this. His winning titles record suggests he sets and can maintain a winning culture for his team. Yet, things are different here in East Bengal. The club has thrown its money around; however, a coherent unit in terms of chemistry and tactical cohesion has still not translated to the pitch.

One of the first big decisions from Bruzón could well be some chopping and shaping in the squad. According to sources within the club, Bruzón wants to shake up things a bit in his forward line by considering veteran Cleiton Silva to be replaced, with Bangladesh’s favorite footballer and Bashundhara Kings’ trusted performer, Robson Robinho. A star of Bangladesh during his time in the country, Robinho has recently announced that his chapter is over, and speculations did go out that he is on his way to East Bengal. If this news turns out to be true, that will give him the vital player who is very conversant with the tactical system he intends to operate and, more importantly, add some weight to the attack of this team.

Aside from the transfer of Robson, another old name that the club is expected to recall into midfield is that of Miguel Figueira. Such a shake-up may be in the pipeline as Bruzón looks at an overhaul of such proportions to leave his mark and personal stamp on the team.

High Hopes, High Stakes

The East Bengal fans are hoping for a turnaround and in Óscar Bruzón, they have a coach with a track record of success. He did well in Bangladesh, but success there does not equate to instant success in the Indian Super League. Wherever he goes, he has made winning teams. Whether he can adjust to the special pressure in Indian football or restore a team that has been unable to get their game into rhythm this season only time will tell.
Bruzon’s stakes are the highest as they cannot wait for long, with the passionate fans of East Bengal demanding results. Bruzon will have a shot to further himself in playing as a savior to the Red and Gold if he succeeds in this fight, or this might prove to be a ride for the club downward, with more questions at the end for the fans.

Only time will tell whether he is the problem solver that East Bengal needs or if there are deeper issues that lie beyond a change of guard. One thing, however, is for sure that fans of East Bengal will be watching closely to see if their new coach can salvage the sinking ship and return the club to its former glory.

“I am pledged to achieve the ambitious goals set by the club’s management,” he said. “Leading a historic institution like East Bengal is both a privilege and a significant responsibility,” said Bruzon.

Even further, Bruzón outlined his international ambitions for the club, saying, “I am sure we can perform not only in the Indian Super League but also in the AFC Challenge League. That’s why, at present, I’m putting in more effort to have consistent and quality methods of training and tactics to help our players be their best and develop a winning mentality.”

The 47-year-old coach said he has absolute support from fans of Red & Gold and added, “I would like to thank the most passionate fanbase in India. For me, it’s an honor to be part of this family. Together, we will try to encourage this team and come back with bright positive results thanks to your love.”