On Friday, the 133-year-old Mohammedan Sports Club won the I-League title for the first time and advanced to the prestigious Indian Super League (ISL). Needing only a draw against Shillong Rajon FC, the one-time Kolkata giants won 2-1 on the road to clinch a coveted title ticket with one game remaining, but only if Meets Premier 1 standards of the Indian Club Licensing System. Speaking to IANS, former India striker and current technical director of Mohammedan Dipendu Biswas said he was confident that they would be able to meet all the licensing criteria laid down by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Corporation Ltd. Be confident. FSDL), which runs ISL.

“As far as I know, we will be able to meet all the criteria laid down by the AIFF and FSDL, including the bank guarantee clause of Rs 100 crore,” said Dipendu, who has guided the club through several ups and downs.

Dipendu is also confident that Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) will become Mohammedan’s home ground in the ISL.

“Yes, we will make Yuba Bharati Krirangan our home ground,” Dipendu said. Dipendu reunited with Mohammedan as technical director during the coronavirus pandemic in 2019, four years after he hung his boots in the same tent.

When informed of recent media reports that the locals would face huge pressure if Mohammedans also wanted to make this their home ground, Dipendu said they also have the same number of supporters as East Bengal or Mohun Bagan, They use the stadium as their home stadium.

“Look, the number of supporters at Mohammad is comparable to that of East Bengal or Mohunbangan. So, there is no doubt that other venues will be considered. We will make Ubabarati our home ground. If both teams can play there, Then a third team can play there. “Teams can be accommodated as well,” Dipendu said.

“We will also play our last I-League match at Yuba Bharati Krirangan on April 13. That way they (AIFF, FSDL) will also be able to see the number of supporters we have. We expect more than 60,000 people to gather On the pitch. After graduating from the Tata Football Academy, Dipendu played for three of Kolkata’s biggest clubs – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedans.

“Furthermore, to my knowledge, there is no other site here that meets the standards set by the FSDL,” Dipendu concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)