A clenched fist, a silent revolution – The idea of ​​East Bengal under Oscar Bruzon

While working full-time in Chennai, Oscar Bruzon hardly showed any expression of joy. He clenched his fist, looked at his watch, and took a deep breath of relief. His team, East Bengal, had just defeated two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC 3-1.

In 2024, when he took charge, East Bengal registered six wins in the previous twenty matches. After this win, that number stands at 12. The Red and Gold Brigade, who have never finished in the top half of the Indian Super League, are now fourth in the table.

The man driving this transformation is Bruzon, a serious-looking figure who keeps a close eye on his tactics and lifts them when the press gets too deep into the dressing room.

«This is what my family in particular, my father, has often asked me. If we win, I am relieved. If we lose, I am already looking forward to the next match that will come as soon as possible to correct our problems,» Bruzon told Sportstar after the match.

«In football you have to control your emotions. Every five to seven days you have a match. So there is no time to be happy.»

From player to tactician

Bruzon’s caution stems from his formative years. The Spaniard started as a winger, plundering down the flanks and contributing in the final third before an injury pushed him deeper into midfield.

The attacking flair gave way to a calmer, more authoritative role as a defensive midfielder in front of the back line.

It was here that Bruzon, the manager, took shape, as did several defensive midfielders-turned-manager such as Xabi Alonso, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone.

«You always watch the game from behind; you need leadership and energy. I can give you the example of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. He is not the best playmaker, not the fastest player, not the strongest, not the best in duels, but he is the best judge of the situation,» says Bruzon.

Dealing with situations, and sometimes turning the tide, has always been the central challenge wherever he has coached.

In the Maldives, he helped New Radiant win the domestic treble after three years and then turned Bashundhara Kings into serial champions in Bangladesh, breaking Abahani Dhaka’s dominance.

East Bengal proved no different.

«When I came here, the team was probably a bit out of balance. We had injuries at the beginning of the season and the confidence level of the players was very low,» says Bruzon.

In Bruzon’s first match as coach of East Bengal, he arrived the night before the Kolkata derby and watched his side lose to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. A defeat against Odisha followed.

«It is not easy for a coach to get accepted if they supported the former coach, a high-profile manager who did very good things in India. Even the entire coaching staff was on his side. Many of the players were chosen by him. So for me it was not easy,» he added.

Building faith through chemistry

His first foothold came in the AFC Challenge League, a 2-2 draw against FC Paro of Bhutan, which he describes as “the first big moment of help”.

East Bengal then lost only once in the next 10 matches.

“The team started to understand that there was a way forward. We got a good result there and from then on it became easier,” he says.

For Bruzon, football goes beyond structure, but also relationships.

«In India, people like to talk a lot about formations and systems; it seems that without them you can’t win matches. I am radically against this idea because a formation or system is just a reference for players to know where to be and adapt,» he says.

«My approach to football is about relationships between players rather than systems. In one match we can use five or six different formations, and it depends on the players on the pitch.»

«Depending on their chemistry, their movement and what we need to do at that particular moment, we use one form or the other. Our defensive organization is not the same as our offensive one,» he adds.

That cohesion is reflected in the way the team dines, jokes and stays connected off the field. Bruzon, whose stern presence is visible on the sidelines, moves between the tables after games more like a father than a coach.

«A coach has to be a psychologist sometimes. We have four players who dropped out with suspensions or injuries (for the match against Chennaiyin). I don’t want to mention names, but when players do poorly, they need love and trust,» he said.

«We put a lot of effort into making our players feel like they are a team. A lot of people say, ‘We are a family.’ But it’s not a word, it’s an attitude. One of the things we do is rotate a lot, so everyone gets a chance. When you have a full team involved in the game, you can get the best out of everyone.”

What is a Bruzon ball?

At its core, football requires a philosophy. And for Bruzon that was clear on Saturday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium: fluid structures, one-touch passing and clinical finishing.

«Football based on possession is the result of hard work, team chemistry and players who understand that we want to dominate matches. Last year I could not implement this kind of idea,» Bruzon explained.

«We used the 4-4-2 system, only three lines, waited more in the middle of the park with a center block, tried to win the ball and launch faster counter-attacks. This year we wanted to be dominant and build from the back, and we have excellent players for that, Anwar (Ali), Jeakson (Singh) and Kevin (Sibille), players who understand the build-up.»

In midfield there is a balance between physical presence, such as (Mohammad) Rashid, and Saúl (Crespo), who operates as a playmaker. Up front, the side has the flexibility to link play and form quick connections in tight spaces.

The result: East Bengal have scored the most goals in the league so far, including a 7-0 defeat to Mohammedan Sporting, and have not lost a Kolkata derby in regular time this season.

«East Bengal has a rich history of challenging for titles. So we had to take a step back from the previous seasons when things weren’t working. Today, East Bengal fans are certainly proud of the model we are trying to adopt,» Bruzon added.

But the Spaniard makes sure he doesn’t get ahead of himself.

«I would like to be in the top six. Things are going well. Maybe we have to be more ambitious and I understand that our fans don’t like to hear that this is not the title fight,» Bruzon said.

«I’m not going to talk about that, because I know where we come from. We are just in the middle of the process. There is room for improvement.»

The Red-and-Gold Brigade returns home on Thursday to host Bengaluru FC, a team they failed to beat in both their encounters in the ISL last season. But Bruzon believes his side has the momentum to continue.

«We are going to compete with every club in India and try to finish at the top positions. Let’s just say we are on our way to bringing back those golden days of East Bengal,» says Bruzon with a smile.

He rolls his closed fist to check his watch once more, this time at the team hotel, before resting, preparing and perhaps giving the East Bengal fans another reason to celebrate.

Published on April 16, 2026