John Abraham: North East United FC owner ready to ride the odds

John Abraham is no stranger to public adulation as one of the long serving, intense action heroes of Bollywood. However, the sense of satisfaction for him as he was mobbed before hopping onto the SUV after his club North East United FC won the the Durand Cup on Saturday night – their maiden silverware since birth in 2013 – must have been a huge one.      

It was back in 2007 that John, a huge football fan and decent player himself, played Sunny Bhasin – a UK-born Indian bred in Southall making it big in the film Goal. This was much before the idea of Indian Super League (ISL) had taken roots and when teams for the marquee league went for auction, he pitched in for the Highlanders instead of investing in his hometown Mumbai. His dream was to build a team for the eight states of entire north east region, a cradle of talent for Indian football, but the journey had been a rocky one.   

“The feeling of winning the Durand Cup has not yet sunk in. This is just a lesson for all to never give up, to hold on to the team and support the team, not just in winning times but even when we are losing,” said the owner with a vision after his boys shut the door on a star-studded Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Salt Lake Stadium in the final after the shootout.

The athletic John, now 51, was tossed in the air by his overjoyed team members in a celebration usually reserved for the coach, but the Spanish manager Juan Pedro Benali surely wouldn’t mind. No offence meant to other star owners, but the NUFC owner’s willpower to plough a lonely furrow certainly sets him apart from the rest. The long sequence of poor finishes in the ISL, talk of cash crunch has often threatened to derail his dream but giving up has never been an option for the actor.

Against all odds

In an interview with a YouTube channel, John had once said: ‘’Every year, I suffer big losses (by investing in NUFC). I am an individual owner. The rest of the teams are owned by multi-billion dollar corporates.’’      

An unexpected triumph in the Durand Cup hence comes as a major shot in the arm ahead of the 2024-25 ISL season. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel and we proved it. Congratulations to the entire team and the staff… I am just a representation standing here talking on their behalf. The real heroes are the staff, the coach, players, and everyone involved in making this team,” the actor said, before adding: “Big congratulations to the team for making this happen. Also, to those fans, who stood by us and supported us through thick and thin… Thank you so much.”

"I have one objective – legacy. One superstar should come from my academy. I am constructing an academy in Shillong, and it’s going to be India’s best."

There is, of course, no magic recipe for NUFC to replicate the success in ISL – given the disparity in their budget and the likes of top guns Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC or Bengaluru FC. However, John has a long-term legacy in mind and has already begun working towards it irrespective of his team’s hunt for trophies.

‘’I have one objective – legacy. One superstar should come from my academy. I am constructing an academy in Shillong, and it’s going to be India’s best. For the kids who don’t have money, their boarding, lodging, education – I want to take care of everything from the ages of eight of 18.’’

It's not often one hears an Indian club owner speak on similar lines. Mandar Tamhane, the club’s CEO, also weighed in on the significance of the club’s success. ‘’We are a club which represents eight states, not just one state or one city. It’s a big responsibility for us when we represent our fans. This victory is for the fans, they deserve it for supporting the club through highs and lows. It’s the first victory and it’s very special,” he added.