Sunday Special: Bengaluru FC – The Untold Journey

by Chittu Shetty October 30, 2016

Bengaluru FC over the period of three years has managed to establish its own legacy without much history, without the celebrities’ showbiz or big names of ISL but purely on its ambition and passion to be among the best.

The Journey from the scratch

In 2013, AIFF decided to invite bids from corporate to increase number of teams in I-League, one of the aims were to increase participation from cities outside Kolkata and Goa, which comprised most of the Indian football.

So when Steel powerhouse JSW decided to invest in the city of Bengaluru, not much was expected from this new club as opposed to that of age old clubs from Kolkata and Goa. Bengaluru, whose majorities of young professionals are fans of European clubs or teams, had no I-League teams of their own. For a city, with a good sporting fan base of Cricket as seen with the success of Royal Challengers Bangalore that manages huge crowds for IPL despite not managing to win the trophy even once, football had grounds to cover.

Before the Bengaluru FC’s inception, Indian football landscape completely revolved around either the Kolkata giants or Goan clubs. With AIFF partnership with IMG-RIL already signed talks of a new rebranded league were just starting to rustle. With JSW onboard as BFC owners, one of the major worries for the club was lack of Known players; with most of them already signed up by the other I league clubs. With just four months to go before the season began, the club started recruiting players who were either free agents or played for smaller clubs, or rejects.

Getting former Manchester United youth player Ashley Westwood, as the club’s very first head coach, and Sunil Chhetri as the big signing, the club began its first step in to Indian football. While BFC were provided immunity from relegation for three years, the club decided to concentrate on fitness of players and invest in youth as they began thinking long term success.

In the three years of its inception, BFC has brought not just professionalism but also managed to use modern technologies to its benefit, from using Social media powers to Impress the youth and bring fans to the stadium to the use of GPS techniques for tracking player’s movements and heart-rate monitors for physical assessments. Its concentration on players fitness and investment on youth hugely benefited the blues as they managed to win I league twice in three years missing the one in last four minutes of the game, while apart from Federation Cup they are now on the verge of creating history becoming the first club from India to play in the finals of Asia’s equivalent of Europa Cup.

Bengaluru has also contributed majorly to national side, at its inception; Chhetri was the only player from the club representing the national side, while that number has grown to eight now.

Fans of the club also had a major impact on the club, being really involved with club activities supporting in each game. Club on their part did their best to give back to the city, from match-day pamphlets, organising fan days and open training sessions to starting soccer schools with full-time residential programmes and setting up different age group teams, the JSW and BFC officials picked up the better aspects of football from their study of European model and created an unique and delightful experience in Indian football.

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Big Passion and Ambitions coming together

Westwood’s tenure had taken the club to become India’s best and represent the country among other Asian clubs in AFC cup. His departure in May didn’t stop the club from dreaming big, they brought in even bigger name for managerial position in Albert Roca, who had been Barcelona’s Assistant Manager under Frank Rijkaard.

Albert Roca’s first game was an all important AFC Cup quarter final against Singaporean club Tampines rovers that boasted of former Arsenal player in Jermaine Pennant in their ranks. Due to the unusual footballing calendar of the country, Blues had to deal with lack of crucial game time, new foreign recruits and a closed door affair meant BFC were also devoid of any home support, expected to be bowed out, Coach Albert Roca had other plans. Changing the playing style of counterattacking football to Possession based one, Blues surprised one and all. While lack of goals seemed a compromise at start the defense looked more solid, winning the two legged affair 1-0 courtesy to CK Vineeth’s goal. Bengaluru FC became the third team along with Dempo and East Bengal to reach the semi finals of the AFC Cup.

Facing Malaysian side and defending champions Johor Darul Tazim, a side that had been Bengaluru’s old nemesis over the last two years, Blues had their task cut out. In the previous three meeting, JDT had managed to defeat the Indian side on all three occasion, even eliminating them once in ACL playoffs. Before the first leg away game, not many had given Bengaluru much chance and that list of people included former coach Ashley Westwood himself, but once again Blues showed character. Bengaluru managed to draw the game 1-1 coming away with a vital away goal advantage thanks to Eugeneson’s wonder strike.

In the home leg, the club and its official made sure, blues didn’t lack any support urging the entire country to back them, even inviting rival I league clubs Mohan Bagan, East Bengal and others. With more than 21000 fans in the stadium, Blues didn’t disappoint has they made history defeating JDT 3-1 and 4-2 on aggregate. The manner in which Bengaluru played was more cherishing as the I league champions didn’t hesitate in their relentless attack in opposition’s goal in the entire game.

Bengaluru FC over the period of three years has managed to establish its own legacy without much history, without the celebrities’ showbiz or big names of ISL but purely on its ambition and passion to be among the best. Come November 5^th, when Bengaluru FC take on Iraq’s Air Force club in a historic final at Doha, the whole country will be once again behind the new torchbearer of Indian Football.