'The president and his entourage should play the I-League now'

Mohun Bagan, East Bengal blast AIFF after Goan clubs quit I-League

India’s oldest football clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal blasted the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for overlooking the I-League clubs after two Goan giants, Sporting Clube de Goa and Salgaocar pulled out of the country's top tier domestic tournament on Friday.

- Blow for Indian football: Salgaocar, Sporting Clube quit I-League

"It's another nail in the coffin. Now, what's left to play for in the I-League? The president and his entourage should play the I-League now," East Bengal secretary Kalyan Majumdar said in his usual sarcastic tone on Friday.

The Goan giants joined a list of discontent clubs -- Pune FC, Bharat FC, Royal Wahingdoh -- who have dropped out of the I-League with the AIFF keen to make the lucrative franchise based league ISL as the top tier tournament.

The East Bengal top boss, however, did not specify what would be their course of action.

"The AIFF is not clear what they want to do. They are supposed to inform us. You cannot equate the likes of Delhi Dynamos to East Bengal. You compare the history," Majumdar said.

Terming it a black day, Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra called for an urgent meeting of all the state associations.

"We have to sort out the mess. All the state units must sit together and take steps amicably, if not we should follow a legal route," he said.

"We (the federation) should not only think of making money. We are keeping a close watch."