The 2023–24 season is the 104th season of East Bengal Football Club and their fourth season in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The Indian football season started in July and ended in April. During the season, East Bengal became runners-up in the Durand Cup and runners-up in the Calcutta Football League, had a ninth-place finish in the Indian Super League and became champions of the Super Cup, thus ensuring a place in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers.
Before the start of the season, East Bengal appointed Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach and finished with the highest ever points the club amassed in the Indian Super League in the four seasons.
Background
After the end of the 2022–23 season, the club parted ways with the head coach Stephen Constantine after poor results, and appointed former Indian Super League winner Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach for the team on a two-year contract. The club also roped in the services of Odisha winger Nandhakumar Sekar and Chennaiyin midfielder Edwin Sydney Vanspaul for the season. The club also roped in three Spaniards – Javier Siverio and Borja Herrera from Hyderabad, and Saúl Crespo from Odisha for the season. On 3 June, East Bengal announced the departure of eleven players, whose contract period ended and were not renewed, which included the five foreign players from last season apart from Cleiton Silva and Indian players – Jerry Lalrinzuala, Semboi Haokip, Suvam Sen, Himanshu Jangra, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Naveen Kumar. East Bengal also roped in club legend Harmanjot Singh Khabra who had spent seven years with the club previously from 2009–2016 and also left back Mandar Rao Dessai for the season.
On 10 June, the club announced the signing of Nandhakumar Sekar on a three-year deal on a free transfer from Odisha. On 12 June, East Bengal announced the signing of Spanish midfielder Borja Herrera on a one-year contract in a free transfer. On 14 June, the club announced the signing of defender Nishu Kumar from Kerala Blasters on a one-year loan deal. On 17 June, the club announced the signing of Spanish duo Javier Siverio and Saúl Crespo on a one-year contract. On 19 June, the club announced the signings of three players – Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Harmanjot Singh Khabra and Mandar Rao Dessai.
Transfers
Incoming DateNameSigned fromFeeRef 10 June 2023 11 FW Nandhakumar Sekar Odisha Free Transfer 12 June 2023 26 MF Borja Herrera Hyderabad Free Transfer 17 June 2023 99 FW Javier Siverio Hyderabad Free Transfer 17 June 2023 21 MF Saúl Crespo Odisha Free Transfer 19 June 2023 8 MF Edwin Sydney Vanspaul Chennaiyin Free Transfer 19 June 2023 7 DF Harmanjot Khabra Kerala Blasters Free Transfer 19 June 2023 17 DF Mandar Rao Dessai Mumbai City Free Transfer 12 July 2023 13 GK Prabhsukhan Singh Gill Kerala Blasters Undisclosed 12 July 2023 33 DF Gursimrat Singh Gill Mumbai City Free Transfer 21 July 2023 30 MF Vanlalpeka Guite Aizawl Free Transfer 21 July 2023 35 MF Gurnaj Singh Grewal Chandigarh Football Academy Free Transfer 5 August 2023 44 DF Jordan Elsey Perth Glory Free Transfer 5 August 2023 4 DF José Antonio Pardo Lucas Eldense Free Transfer 1 September 2023 84 MF Sayan Banerjee Kalighat Milan Sangha Free Transfer 2 September 2023 50 GK Julfikar Gazi Bengal Football Academy Free Transfer 28 September 2023 19 DF Hijazi Maher Al-Hussein Free Transfer 31 January 2024 9 MF Víctor Vázquez Toronto FC Free Transfer 1 February 2024 91 FW Felicio Brown Qingdao Hainiu Free Transfer 15 February 2024 28 DF Aleksandar Pantić Doxa Katokopias Free Transfer
Loan in Start dateEnd dateNameLoaned fromRef 14 June 2023 End of season 22 DF Nishu Kumar Kerala Blasters 31 August 2023 End of season 6 MF Ajay Chhetri Bengaluru
Outgoing Exit DateNameSigned toFeeRef 1 June 2023 6 FW Sumit Passi Inter Kashi Free Transfer 1 June 2023 8 MF Amarjit Singh Kiyam Goa End of Loan 1 June 2023 14 MF Alex Lima Released 1 June 2023 17 DF Jerry Lalrinzuala Odisha Free Transfer 1 June 2023 18 MF Himanshu Jangra Delhi End of Loan 1 June 2023 24 MF Jordan O'Doherty Released 1 June 2023 25 GK Suvam Sen Released 1 June 2023 26 FW Semboi Haokip Jamshedpur Free Transfer 1 June 2023 32 GK Naveen Kumar Goa End of Loan 1 June 2023 40 DF Charalambos Kyriakou Doxa Katokopias Free Transfer 1 June 2023 77 FW Jake Jervis Kuopion Palloseura Free Transfer 26 July 2023 12 MF Wahengbam Angousana Mohammedan Sporting Free Transfer 26 July 2023 13 GK Pawan Kumar Delhi Free Transfer 1 September 2023 4 DF Iván González Chitwan Free Transfer 1 September 2023 33 DF Pritam Kumar Singh TRAU Free Transfer
Loan out Start dateEnd dateNameLoaned toRef 25 August 2023 End of season 16 DF Sarthak Golui Chennaiyin 8 January 2024 End of season 15 MF Mobashir Rahman Chennaiyin 30 January 2024 End of season 26 MF Borja Herrera Goa 31 January 2024 End of season 99 FW Javier Siverio Jamshedpur
Team
First-team squad The below list contains the names and details of the first team squad for East Bengal.
No.NameDate of Birth (Age)Goalkeepers1Kamaljit SinghGK Odisha 2022 2025 26 013Prabhsukhan Singh GillGK Kerala Blasters 2023 2026 32 027Aditya PatraGK East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 9 050Julfikar GaziGK Bengal FA 2023 2026 0 075Ranit SarkarGK RFYC 2023 2026 1 0Defenders5Lalchungnunga CB Sreenidi Deccan 2022 2026 50 07Harmanjot Singh KhabraRB Kerala Blasters 2023 2024 246 1312Mohammad Rakip RB Mumbai City 2022 2024 48 017Mandar Rao DessaiLB Mumbai City 2023 2024 24 019Hijazi MaherCB Al-Hussein 2023 2024 22 222Nishu KumarLB Kerala Blasters 2023 2024 30 125Athul UnnikrishnanCB Kerala United 2022 2025 16 028Aleksandar PantićCB Doxa Katokopias 2024 2024 8 033Gursimrat Singh GillCB Mumbai City 2023 2026 11 037Tuhin DasLB East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 23 240Tingku KangujamRB NEROCA 2023 2024 0 0Midfielders6Ajay ChhetriCM Bengaluru 2023 2024 21 18Edwin Sydney VanspaulCM Chennaiyin 2023 2025 13 09Víctor VázquezAM Toronto FC 2024 2024 10 021Saúl CrespoDM Odisha 2023 2024 25 723Souvik ChakrabartiCM Hyderabad 2022 2025 42 029Naorem Mahesh SinghLW Kerala Blasters 2022 2027 70 1230Vanlalpeka GuiteAM Aizawl 2023 2026 8 135Gunraj Singh GrewalDM Chandigarh FA 2023 2026 9 057Mahitosh RoyCM East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 12 561Tanmay DasCM East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 13 162Aman C. K.RW East Bengal Reserves 2022 2026 15 566Shyamal BesraCM East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 7 1Forwards10Cleiton Silva (captain)FW Bengaluru 2022 2024 55 2711Nandhakumar SekarFW Odisha 2023 2026 31 1020V. P. SuhairFW NorthEast United 2022 2025 45 1059Jesin TKFW East Bengal Reserves 2022 2024 17 770Abhishek KunjamFW RKM Football Academy 2023 2025 13 682P. V. VishnuFW Muthoot FA 2023 2026 31 784Sayan BanerjeeFW Kalighat MS 2023 2026 10 191Felicio Brown ForbesFW Qingdao Hainiu 2024 2024 11 1
New contracts No.Pos.DateNameRef. 29 MF 23 September 2023 Naorem Mahesh Singh
Other player under contract No.Pos.NameRef. 4 DF José Antonio Pardo Lucas 44 DF Jordan Elsey
Current technical staff East Bengal appointed former Indian Super League winner Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach for the club on a two-year contract. The club also extended the contract with assistant coach Bino George till 2026, as he would also remain as the head coach of the reserves and developmental squad. The club also appointed former Indian Super League winner Dimas Delgado as the assistant coach on a two-year contract. The club also roped in three more Spaniards into the backroom – Goalkeeper coach Javier Pinillos, Physiotherapist Senen Alvarez and Sports Scientist Albert Martinez Bernat.
PositionName Head coach Carles CuadratAssistant coach Dimas Delgado Bino George Goalkeeping Coach Javier Pinillos Strength & Conditioning Coach Albert Martinez Bernat Physiotherapist Senen Alvarez Physical Rehabilitator Gabriel Effio Assistant Physiotherapist Tejas Lasalkar Performance Analyst Aromal Vijayan Team Manager Pratim Kumar Saha Team Doctor Dr. Mustufa Poonawalla Masseur Rajesh Basak Masseur Robin Das
Preseason and friendlies East Bengal started their preseason under Bino George and later under Carles Cuadrat in July. East Bengal played their first preseason friendly against Indian Navy on 30 July and won 2–1 with Lalchungnunga and Mandar Rao Dessai scoring for East Bengal in the match ahead of the Durand Cup. On 13 September, East Bengal faced Hyderabad in a preseason friendly game ahead of the Indian Super League and lost 0–1 at the East Bengal Ground.
Matches
Competitions
Overall record
Durand Cup
East Bengal participated in the 2023 Durand Cup and was grouped into Group A along with Mohun Bagan SG, Punjab, and Bangladesh Army and would play their group stage matches in Kolkata. On 6 August, East Bengal began their campaign against Bangladesh Army at the Salt Lake Stadium and managed a 2–2 draw. East Bengal took a 2–0 lead at halftime with Saúl Crespo and Javier Siverio scoring for the team but Nishu Kumar received a red card in the second half as Bangladesh Army scored two late goals to make it 2–2 and the points were shared. On 12 August, East Bengal faced their arch—rivals Mohun Bagan SG in the Kolkata Derby fixture at the Salt Lake Stadium and managed a 1–0 win courtesy of a solitary goal from Nandhakumar Sekar in the second half. On 16 August, East Bengal defeated Punjab 1–0 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan to secure the top spot in the group and qualify for the quarterfinals. Javier Siverio scored the only goal of the match. On 25 August, East Bengal faced Gokulam Kerala at the Salt Lake Stadium in the quarterfinals and won 2–1. Jordan Elsey scored for East Bengal in the very first minute but Gokulam Kerala equalized in the second half courtesy of a goal from Aminou Bouba. However, East Bengal found the winner in the seventy-eighth minute when Nishu Kumar's cross deflected off Aminou Bouba into the net as East Bengal managed to hold onto the 2–1 lead to progress into the semifinals. On 29 August, East Bengal faced NorthEast United in the semifinals at the Salt Lake Stadium, where after the match ended 2–2, East Bengal managed to progress into the finals after winning the penalty shootout 5–3. East Bengal went 2–0 behind with goals from Míchel Zabaco and Konsam Phalguni Singh however, they rallied from behind with goals from Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar Sekar to equalize the match to take it to the penalty shootout. East Bengal scored all five of their penalty kicks but Parthib Sundar Gogoi missed the penalty for NorthEast United as East Bengal won the shootout and progressed into the final for the first time since 2004. On 3 September, East Bengal faced Mohun Bagan SG in the final at the Salt Lake Stadium and suffered a 0–1 defeat to finish runners-up of the tournament. Dimitri Petratos scored the only goal in the final for Mohun Bagan SG. Nandhakumar Sekar was adjudged as the player of the tournament.
Group stage
Knockout stage
Matches
Indian Super League
Summary East Bengal began their Indian Super League campaign at home against Jamshedpur on 25 September at the Salt Lake Stadium with a goalless draw to share the points. On 30 September, East Bengal faced Hyderabad in their second match at the Salt lake Stadium and secured their first victory of the campaign. Hitesh Sharma put Hyderabad ahead but Cleiton Silva scored twice including a stoppage-time freekick winner to complete the comeback as East Bengal secured the victory.