The battle of attrition between East Bengal and the All India Football Federation over the release of eight club players for the ongoing national football camp continued on Friday, with local the Kolkata giants hardening their stand following a fruitless discussion with chief coach Stephen Constantine.
East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick met Constantine during the day and pleaded that his footballers be allowed to join the camp after August 11 or else the probables in the national camp could train together with the club's players under the local soccer giant's English physical trainer Peter Mcnight.
"But Constantine refused to accede to the request, saying he intends following his own schedule. He also said he did not need the services of Mcnight as he himself had the requisite knowledge of a trainer," East Bengal football secretary Santosh Bhattacharya said.
"I don't know what harm it would have caused had Mcnight's services been used for the national team. But now after the adamant attitude shown by Constantine we have given clear cut instructions to the players not to join the camp until they get the clearance from the club," he added.
Under no circumstances, would the club release the players before August 12, a day after Mcnight returns home at the end of his six-week contract with East Bengal, Bhattacharya said.
Incidentally, the camp is slated to end on August 17 and Constantine has said that he would announce the final team for the LG Cup in Vietnam on August 9.
East Bengal had earlier written to the AIFF that their players, including ace striker Baichung Bhutia, be allowed to join the camp after August 11 to enable the club make optimum utilisation of Mcnigth's brief stint.
In response, the AIFF gave the club's footballers two days' grace, and asked them to report by August 7.
However, when East Bengal put forth the idea that the national probables and their players train together, the AIFF asked the club officials to get in touch with Constantine.
"If now Constantine wants to select the team without our players, he is most welcome. But we won't budge from our stand. We have already spent a large amount to bring the trainer," Bhattacharya said.
Constantine on his part described as 'unfortunate' the absence of the East Bengal players at the camp, and said, "I'd like to have the full team as soon as possible."
However, he refused to comment any further, saying that it is up to the All India Football Federation to find a solution.
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