Biswajit Bhattacharya named East Bengal coach

Kolkata: Former Indian football team striker Biswajit Bhattacharya was on Friday named head coach of East Bengal club for the 2015-16 season.

Bhattacharya will be at the helm of affairs for one year and he will take charge immediately, club president Pranab Dasgupta said at a press conference here.

"Biswajit will be the head coach for one year and he will take charge immediately," Dasgupta said with Biswajit by his side.

Biswajit, a former East Bengal player, had been the coach of city arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in two stints in 2006 and 2010. He was also the coach of George Telegraph in the I-League second division last season.

He played for the national team in the 1984 Nehru Gold Cup and the Asian Cup and was known as a prolific striker.

"I have played for East Bengal and I will try to win as many trophies as possible this season," he said.

Asked about the pressure of managing a high-profile club like East Bengal, Bhattacharya said, "I am not afraid of pressure. I feel I can do better under pressure."