First batch of stranded Bagan, EB foreign players set for May 5 return

Overseas players and coaches of Kolkata football giants, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, who are stuck here due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, are expected to start returning home from May 5.

"We are still arranging on how to move to New Delhi first. A first batch most probably will go on May 5," a Spanish footballer of East Bengal told PTI on Tuesday.

The foreign players and members of the coaching staff are already in touch with their respective embassies and a special flight is expected to fly them back home.

East Bengal has five Spaniards -- four players (Jaime Santos, Juan Mera, Marcos de la Espada, Victor Perez) and coach Mario Rivera, besides, Jhonny Acosta of Costa Rica and Senegal's Kassim Aidara, who are held up in the country.

Mohun Bagan's five players (Fran Morante, Fran Gonzalez, Joseba Beitia from Spain; Daniel Cyrus of Trinidad; Baba Diawara of Senegal and Komron Turunov of Tajikistan) and coach Kibu Vicuna are also stuck here after the I-League was stalled abruptly due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Mohun Bagan assistant coach Tomasz Tchorz of Poland and physical trainer Paulius Ragauskas from Lithuania are also likely to board the same May 5 flight.