Aizawl FC's championship winning coach Khalid Jamil is all set to take up the position of head coach at East Bengal Football Club, Goal can confirm.
After Trevor Morgan stepped down from the position in April, the Red and Golds have been facing a torrid time regarding stability at the helm. Although Mridul Bannerjee was appointed as interim coach until the end of the season, the club was rumoured to be on the lookout for a new head coach for the upcoming 2017-18 season.
Senior club official Debabrata Sarkar had travelled to Mumbai yesterday with former footballer Alvito D'Cunha to hold the final talks with the I-League winning coach. This, certainly, was a deja vu moment for both the parties as Sarkar had also travelled to the business capital with the same intention way back in 2001, offering Khalid a 1500% pay hike. However, the then Air India midfielder had turned down the offer, citing the club's association with liquor brand Kingfisher as the reason
However, the former Mumbai FC coach and AIFF Best Coach of the season award winner appears to have changed his stance and has taken up the high pressure job at East Bengal.
Jamil coached Aizawl FC towards a dream I-League title in the 2016/17 season. The coach and the team, despite being considered as massive underdogs throughout the season, surprised the football world by clinching the title after shrugging off competition from Mohun Bagan.
East Bengal ended the season without silverware after a mediocre outing in the I-League and a heart-breaking semi final exit against arch rivals Mohun Bagan in the recently concluded Federation Cup. With Jamil at the helm, the fans will be hoping for a much improved Red and Golds outfit next season.