Mehtab Hossain vows to quit East Bengal if they don't win I-League this season

MEHTAB HOSSAIN HAS said that not winning the I-League has become a frustration for him and he will leave East Bengal if the club does not win the league this season.

Speaking at the launch of I-League 2016-17 in New Delhi, Mehtab said that he has won every major trophy in India other than I-League, and it's getting to him,

"There's a frustration that builds inside you when you don't win the league after coming close so many times. That's where I am right now."

East Bengal last won the league in 2003-04, back when he was playing at Mohun Bagan. Mehtab joined East Bengal in 2007, and since then has won the Federation Cup 4 times, the IFA Shied once and the Calcutta Football League 7 times with the Red and Golds, earning the status of a club legend in the process. But the league championship has remained elusive. Mehtab lamented,

"In 2010-11 we came really close... but it didn't happen. Maybe lack of confidence has been an issue all these times... I promise to my fans we'll try hard to win the league this season, and if we can't do it I'll leave East Bengal."

The 31 year old defensive midfielder clarified that he wasn't talking about retiring from football; just that he would seek another club in order to taste the title at least once,

"It's about a player never having won it... a club has a lot of time to get back and win the league but a player has a limited career span."