ISL 2025-26: East Bengal to play Indian Super League home matches at Salt Lake Stadium

East Bengal will play all its home matches of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), also known as the Salt Lake Stadium, with the base shifting from the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, the club announced on Tuesday.

The upcoming season of the ISL will be a shortened campaign, played between February 14 and May 17, with each team playing the other side once, bringing the total number of matches to 91.

Every ISL side had been advised to make the season as cost-effective as possible and East Bengal had initially followed suit, choosing a smaller stadium over its conventional home for this season.

In contrast, its arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant has continued using the Salt Lake Stadium for its home matches.

East Bengal would play eight matches at Kishore Bharati Krirangan, with only the Kolkata derby – the away match – at the Salt Lake Stadium. That number has now increased from one to nine.

«Each matchday at the Salt Lake Stadium is estimated to cost Rs. 25 lakh, including security, lighting, logistics and other operational commitments. So financially, the shift (from East Bengal) made a lot of sense,» a source privy to the developments told Sportstar.

But the decision had angered a group of East Bengal fans, and the club held talks with stakeholders to find a solution on Tuesday.

«We took the help of Honorable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to get us out of this danger and she helped us. We will now be able to play our home matches at the Salt Lake Stadium without any expenditure,» East Bengal senior official Debabrata Sarkar said.

“This is great news for football fans who wanted to watch our matches on the VYBK. We would like to request them to come in large numbers and motivate the team.”

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East Bengal had a similar incident six years ago when it shifted its base from Salt Lake Stadium to Kalyani Stadium while playing in the I-League due to circumstances ‘contrary to AIFF rules and regulations’.

The club later returned to its old home when the then Sports Minister of West Bengal, Aroop Biswas, allowed him to play with VYBK for a rent of Rs. 15,000 instead of Rs. 15 lakh per match.

In the upcoming ISL season, East Bengal will play its first home match against NorthEast United on February 16.

Three-time National Football League champions, the Red-and-Gold Brigade joined the ISL in 2020-21 but have so far failed to make an impact in the competition, with their best finish being ninth hgtgdfgdtr19.

Meanwhile, Kishore Bharati Krirangan will continue to host home matches for Mohammedan Sporting Club.

The Black Panthers had explored the JRD Tata Stadium in Jamshedpur as one of the potential venues for the 2025-26 season but ultimately stuck with their home stadium in Kolkata.

The upcoming ISL season starts on February 14 with Bagan taking on Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium with kick-off at 5pm.

Published on February 10, 2026