The 2018–19 season is the club's 99th season in existence. East Bengal discontinued its tie-up with their main sponsors "Kingfisher" after 20 long years of partnership. On 5 July 2018, East Bengal announced a partnership with business giants Quess Corp as their main sponsors, leading to the formation of a new entity named "Quess East Bengal FC Pvt. Ltd." (QEBFC).
Preseason overview East Bengal FC roped in 4 players from 2017–18 I-League champions Minerva Punjab F.C.: goal-keeper Rakshit Dagar, defender Kamalpreet Singh, midfielder Kassim Aidara and forward Bali Gagandeep. East Bengal FC also signed experienced defender Kingshuk Debnath from arch-rivals Mohun Bagan. Veteran custodian Abhra Mondal rejoined East Bengal FC from Bengaluru FC. East Bengal FC also announced the signing of midfielder Sanchayan Samaddar who was part of the Bengal Santosh Trophy squad and promoted youngstar Ginkaholen Haokip from their junior squad. East Bengal FC roped in Costa Rica national team centre-back Jhonny Acosta who played all 3 games in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for a rumored fee of Rs. 1.4 Cr. On 18 August, East Bengal FC announced former Real madrid B manager Alejandro Menéndez García as the new coach. On 24 August, East Bengal FC announced the signing of former Granada C.F. centreback Borja Gómez Pérez. On 30 August, East Bengal FC signed former Mexico international Enrique Esqueda on a free transfer, however making him the highest paid footballer in I-League with a rumoured of Rs 4.2 Cr.
Transfers
Promoted from Academy No.Pos.Name26FW Bidyashagar Singh34FW Talem Suranjit Singh36MF Ginkaholen Haokip37FW Tetepuia Lalchanhima39DF Gurmukh Singh41DF Manoj Mohammed43MF PC Rohlupuia
Transfers in No.Pos.NamePrevious TeamMonth5GK Abhra MondalBengaluru F.C.June4DF Kingshuk DebnathMohun BaganJune40GK Rakshit DagarMinerva Punjab F.C.June26MF Kassim AidaraMinerva Punjab F.C.June14DF Kamalpreet SinghMinerva Punjab F.C.June9MF Bali GagandeepMinerva Punjab F.C.June39DF Sanchayan SamaddarCalcutta CustomsJune23DF Lalrozama FanaiAizawl F.C.June16MF Lalrindika RalteNorthEast United FCJuly2DF Jhonny AcostaRionegro ÁguilasJuly3DF Borja Gómez PérezUD San SebastianAugust9FW Enrique EsquedaArka GdyniaAugust8MF Jaime SantosUP LangreoNovemberDF Hira MondalPeerless FCSeptember10MF Antonio Rodríguez DovaleNea Salamina FC (loan)January15MF Siam HanghalDelhi Dynamos FC (loan)January
Released mid-season No.Pos.NameRemarks6MF Mahmoud AmnahReleased due to Season-long Injury
Loaned out No.Pos.NameTeamDuration19FW Suhair VPGokulam Kerala F.C.End of Season21MF Yami LongvahTRAU F.C.End of Season29DF Mehtab SinghGokulam Kerala F.C.End of Season
Team
First-team Squad
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%; width:80%;" |- !style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|No. !style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Name !style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Nationality !style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Position !style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Date of birth (age) |- !colspan=5 style="background:#ffff00; color:#ff0000; text-align:center;"|Goalkeepers |- |1 |Ubaid CK | |GK
|12 |Abhra Mondal | |GK
|32 |Mirshad Michu | |GK
|40 |Rakshit Dagar | |GK
!colspan=5 style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Defenders |- |2 |Jhonny Acosta | |CB
|3 |Borja Gómez Pérez | |CB
|4 |Kingshuk Debnath | |CB
|5 |Kamalpreet Singh | |RB
|23 |Lalrozama Fanai | |LB
|24 |Salam Ranjan Singh | |RB/LB/CB
|25 |Samad Ali Mallick | |RB
|27 |Lalramchullova | |RB/LB
|28 |Koushik Sarkar | |CB
|29 |Mehtab Singh | |RB
|33 |Rahul Ghosh | |LB
|39 |Gurmukh Singh | |RB
|41 |Manoj Mohammed | |LB
!colspan=5 style="background:#ffff00; color:#ff0000; text-align:center;"|Midfielders |- |7 |Surabuddin Mollick | |RW
|8 |Jaime Santos Colado | |RW/LW
|10 |Antonio Rodríguez Dovale | |CAM
|15 |Siam Hanghal | |CM
|16 |Kassim Aidara | |CDM
|17 |Laldanmawia Ralte | |RW
|20 |Lalrindika Ralte | |RW
|30 |Brandon Vanlalremdika | |LW
|34 |Sanchayan Samaddar | |CM
|35 |Yami Longvah | |LW
|36 |Ginkaholen Haokip | |CAM
|38 |Prakash Sarkar | |CDM/RB
|43 |PC Rohlupuia | |CAM
!colspan=5 style="background:#ff0000; color:#ffff00; text-align:center;"|Forwards |- |9 |Enrique Esqueda | |FW
|11 |Bali Gagandeep | |FW
|22 |Jobi Justin | |FW
|26 |K. Bidyashagar Singh | |FW
|37 |Tetepuia Lalchanhima | |FW
|42 |Telem Suranjit Singh | |FW
Technical staff Position Name Manager (Head Coach) Alejandro Menéndez Physical Trainer Carlos Nodar Paz Video Analyst Mario Rivera Campesino Assistant coach Bastob Roy Assistant Physical Trainer Rudra Pratim Roy Club Doctor Dr. Shantiranjan Dasgupta Team Media Officer Gautam Roy Team Observer Tushar Rakshit
Season overview East Bengal FC started the season with an entire makeover. East Bengal FC parted ways with long time sponsors Kingfisher after 20 years and entered into a new partnership with Quess Corp as their main investors. East Bengal FC is will be taking part in the 2018–19 I- League. East Bengal FC roped in Costa Rica national team center back Jhonny Acosta who played all 3 games in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. East Bengal also roped in ex-Granada CF centre-back Borja Gómez Pérez to strengthen their defence for their quest for the 2018–19 I-League. East Bengal announced ex-Real madrid B manager Alejandro Menéndez as the new coach.
August East Bengal FC started off as the 8 times defending champions of the Calcutta Football League, in search of the 9th consecutive league title. The red and gold brigade started off with an abandoned game against Tollygunge Agragami however, won 2–0 comfortably against WB Police FC with Lalrindika Ralte opening the scoring for the season and Kassim Aidara making it 2–0. East Bengal FC succumbed to the defensive of Calcutta Customs FC as they failed to score and the match ended a goalless draw. East Bengal FC won the next 5 games to lead to the all-important Kolkata Derby.
September East Bengal FC made a great comeback against their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in the first Kolkata Derby of the season, after the Mariners led 2-0 within 30 minutes. East Bengal FC rallied from behind with goals from star debutante Jhonny Acosta and the equalised from Laldanmawia Ralte from a Lalrindika Ralte corner. East Bengal FC however lost the 2 next matches against Peerless FC and Mohammedan SC and eventually lost the title to arch-rivals Mohun Bagan after holding it for 8 long years.
East Bengal FC suffered a huge blow when the AIFF put on a Transfer Ban on the Red and Golds which will prevent them from signing any further player until 31 January 2018. The Transfer Ban was imposed after the AIFF disciplinary committee found East Bengal FC guilty of unethically poaching Sukhwinder Singh of Minerva Punjab which the player was still in contract with the team from Punjab. Alejandro Menéndez took over the reins of the East Bengal FC manager after the Calcutta Football League ended and planned to play a few friendlies as a pre-season before the 2018–19 I-League. East Bengal FC played FC Goa in a pre-season friendly on 22 September at Bambolim, Stadium, Goa and lost via a single goal after a terrific solo effort from Ferran Corominas put the Goan side ahead in the 75th minute. East Bengal put up a great fight against the Indian Super League side after just 3 days of new coach Alejandro Menendez took over.
October East Bengal FC flew off to Malaysia for 3 weeks to conduct the Pre-season for the upcoming 2018–19 I-League. East Bengal FC would stay at the MSN Sports Complex Residential Training Facilities at Kuala Lumpur and play 5 practice matches in the interim. East Bengal FC faced Malaysia Premier League side UiTM F.C. on 7 October in the first Pre-season game in Malaysia. After conceding an early goal, the Red and Gold brigade made a come-back and rallied past 4 goals to win 1–4 against the Malaysian side. Yami Longvah, Enrique Esqueda, Mahmoud Amnah and Jobi Justin were on the score-sheet. East Bengal was to play against another Malaysia Premier League side UKM F.C. on 10 October in the second of the 5 pre-season friendlies however due to bad pitch conditions due to excessive rainfall, the match was abandoned before kick-off.East Bengal played against Malaysia Super League side Terengganu F.C. on 13 October in the next Pre-season friendly game in Malaysia. Ex-East Bengal fans' heartthrob Do Dong Hyun featured in the match against the Red and Golds. East Bengal FC drew 0–0 against the Malaysia Super League side who became runners-up in the 2018 Malaysia Cup.East Bengal played against Malaysia Premier League side PDRM FA in the next pre-season game where they won handsomely by a 6-2 margin, with Jobi Justin netting twice and goals each from Enrique Esqueda, Surabuddin Mollick and Bidyashagar Singh with another one being an own-goal. East Bengal faced UiTM F.C. Reserves in the last pre-season friendly at Malaysia where they won 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Enrique Esqueda. The Red and Gold brigade remain undefeated in the pre-season tour in Malaysia
East Bengal FC faced NEROCA F.C. in the first game of 2018–19 I-League season, away at Imphal. Mexican frontman Enrique Esqueda's brace with one in each half ensured the Red and Golds have a perfect start to the campaign. Academy graduate Manoj Mohammed debuted for the Red and Golds as a Left-back and gained huge praise for his excellent performance.
November East Bengal FC faced Shillong Lajong F.C. in the second game of the campaign, again away at Shillong which they won 3–1. Jobi Justin's brace in the first half along with academy graduate Bidyashagar Singh's goal in the second half ensured East Bengal FC win. Manoj Mohammed again started for the Red and Gold brigade as East Bengal FC defence looked properly organized to throw off any attack from the home side. With 6 points from the first two games, this is East Bengal FC's best start to an I-League campaign since 2010–11. East Bengal FC faced Chennai City F.C. on 13 November, at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata for the first home game of the season which they lost 1–2. Sandro Rodríguez scored the first goal from a free-kick in the dying moments of the first half for Chennai City F.C. to give them a 1–0 lead at HT. Enrique Esqueda equalized for the Red and Golds however Néstor Gordillo scored the winner for the away team in the 85th min from the spot. On 21 November, AIFF lifted the ban imposed on East Bengal FC on signing new players. On 23 November, East Bengal FC announced the signing of their 6th Foreigner ]Jaime Santos Colado of Spain who previously played in the Segunda Division B for teams like Sporting de Gijón B and CD Mirandés as a Winger and Attacking midfielder. East Bengal FC faced Aizawl F.C. next on 24 November, away at Aizawl and in a crunch game, the Red and Gold brigade lost 3–2. Aizawl F.C. took the lead early, but East Bengal FC came back into the game in the second half to lead 1-2 however two late goals from the home side took the game away from East Bengal FC. East Bengal FC was denied a clear goal, when Lalramchullova's free-kick hit the crossbar and bounced back from inside the goal into play, the referee kept the game on, not adjudging it a goal.
December East Bengal FC faced the reigning champions Minerva Punjab F.C. on 4 December, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata where they lost by a solitary goal. William Opoku scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute of the game after East Bengal custodian Ubaid C.K. made a mistake. This was East Bengal FC's 3rd defeat in succession.