East Bengal ends 22-year wait

East Bengal ended a 22-year wait for a national league title on May 21 by beating Inter Kashi 2-1 at Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata and finishing top of the 2025-26 Indian Super League standings. The win completed a comeback on the night after Alfred Planas put Inter Kashi ahead in the first half, before Youssef Ezzejjari and Mohammed Rashid scored for East Bengal. The title was settled on the final matchday of a five-team race, with East Bengal finishing level on 26 points with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and taking the crown on goal difference. ### How did East Bengal actually clinch it? Inter Kashi led through Alfred Planas before East Bengal turned the match with second-half goals from Ezzejjari and Rashid, according to Olympics.com and Times Now’s match reports. The result gave East Bengal the win it needed on a night when several clubs were still in contention. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Sportstar’s final-day standings report said East Bengal finished first after the last round of matches, while the Indian Super League standings page shows the club at the top of the 2025-26 table. Rediff and Times Now reported that Mohun Bagan also finished on 26 points, leaving goal difference to decide the title. (olympics.com) ### Why does the 22-year figure matter? The Times of India said the title ended East Bengal’s 22-year wait for a national league crown. Olympics.com described it as the club’s first top-tier title in 22 years, giving the result added weight for one of Indian football’s oldest and most followed clubs. (sportstar.thehindu.com) Outlook and Rediff both described the finish as the end of a long drought for East Bengal, whose recent seasons had not produced a league title despite the club’s stature in Indian football. The final whistle triggered celebrations in Kolkata and across supporter circles tracked by multiple Indian outlets. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### How crowded was the title race on the last day? Sportstar said the final matchday began with a five-team title race still alive. Times Now also described the finale as a five-way shootout, underlining how unusual it was for the championship to remain open so late in the season. (outlookindia.com) That meant East Bengal’s match could not be read in isolation. Mohun Bagan and other contenders were still in the running during the final round, and East Bengal needed both the win and a sufficient goal-difference edge to finish first. (sportstar.thehindu.com) ### What comes after the trophy for the club? The All India Football Federation said on May 20 that East Bengal were among seven ISL clubs granted a Premier 1 licence with sanctions for the 2026-27 season. The same AIFF decision rejected applications from Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Chennaiyin FC, Inter Kashi and others. (timesnownews.com) Sportstar and NDTV, citing the AIFF decision, reported that East Bengal cleared the licensing process but did so with sanctions rather than a clean approval. That leaves the club entering the post-title phase with both a sporting success and a compliance file that still matters for next season. (the-aiff.com) ### Where can readers track what happens next? The AIFF’s published Premier 1 licensing results for 2026-27 list East Bengal among the clubs granted licences with sanctions, and the Indian Super League standings page records the final table from the title-winning season. Those two documents are the clearest public markers for what follows: East Bengal’s champion status is settled, and its next administrative steps sit inside the federation’s licensing process for the new season. (sportstar.thehindu.com) (the-aiff.com)