For hosts MYJ-GMSC, a hard-fought 1-1 draw against FC Bengaluru United ensured survival in the I-League 2. For the visitors, the same result sealed a long-awaited promotion to the I-League after years of persistence and near misses.

It was a night where everything was at stake, yet both sides knew their fate rested firmly in their own hands. MYJ-GMSC needed only a point to avoid relegation in their debut national division campaign, while FC Bengaluru United required a draw or better to finally secure their place in Indian football’s second tier.

The tension was visible from the opening whistle and Bengaluru United struck early to stun the home crowd. A dangerous delivery into the near post was met perfectly by Lijo, whose glancing header found the back of the net to hand the visitors the lead within the opening minutes.

The goal left MYJ-GMSC rattled. The hosts struggled to cope with Bengaluru United’s intensity and looked nervy in possession for most of the first half. Their touches lacked sharpness and the attacking rhythm was missing, but they managed to stay alive in the contest heading into the break.
One of the few promising moments for the hosts came in the 40th minute. Kean Lewis floated a long diagonal ball towards Shamer on the left flank. The winger cut inside before delivering a teasing cross into the box, where ArvindRaj Rajan connected with a near-post header, only for Bengaluru United’s defence to clear the danger.

Recognising the need for change, MYJ-GMSC made a crucial tactical substitution at halftime by introducing Shravan Shetty — a move that transformed the contest almost instantly.

Just two minutes into the second half, the hosts found their equaliser. Kean Lewis’ free-kick delivery caused confusion inside the six-yard box and after the ball ricocheted into a dangerous area, Shravan reacted quickest to slot home calmly into the bottom-left corner.

The goal completely changed the complexion of the match.
Suddenly, MYJ-GMSC looked sharper, quicker and far more confident in possession. A side that had struggled for consistency throughout the season began to play with renewed belief and urgency.

Their midfield, marshalled by the experienced duo of Advait Shinde and Arvind Raj Rajan, dictated the tempo and threaded passes into the attacking third with authority.
While Youngster Sujal Ghanekar, handed an opportunity only recently, delivered another composed performance in the deeper midfield role. He covered ground tirelessly, won possession repeatedly and distributed the ball efficiently as MYJ-GMSC gained control of the game.

As the clock ticked down, tension around the stadium continued to rise. Every challenge, every clearance and every forward run carried enormous significance. But when the referee finally blew for full time, relief and joy erupted from both camps.

For MYJ-GMSC, it marked survival in their first season at the national level — a reward for resilience under immense pressure. For FC Bengaluru United, it was the culmination of years of ambition and perseverance, as the Bengaluru-based side finally earned promotion to the I-League.

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The second match in Group A saw a faceoff between Rajasthan United FC (RUFC) and FC Bengaluru United (FCBU) at the Bangalore Football Stadium today.

A back and forth game between both teams saw Bengaluru United enjoy a solid first half, while the team from Rajasthan came back in the second period to draw level by outplaying their opponents for a large part of the game. The match finished 1-1, with FCBU defender Kinshuk Debnath facing ejection after a red card in the 86th minute.

The match began with both teams feeling each other out in the first ten minutes, but Bengaluru United started to grow more into the game progressively as they got hold of more of the ball. As Bengaluru United looked to build out from the back, the team looked confident of looking after the ball and using the whole length and breadth of the pitch.

Rajasthan United looked to follow a set game plan which showed signs of a strategy that involved keeping the score at 0-0 in the opening period and not conceding an early goal. As the game progressed RUFC dug in and gave a good account of themselves against difficult opposition. They looked to attack Bengaluru United with long vertical passes to transition from defence into attack at high speed. RUFC had some promising moments where it looked like they could release either winger; Dilliram Sanyasi or Aman Thapa, but they lacked the final quality of pass that would have put the wingers through on goal.

The game moved in ebbs and flows early on, and sprung into life towards the latter end of the first half. FCBU’s fancied Spanish striker Pedro Manzi began to get a look of more of the ball in promising situations in the opponent’s half. However, it was his strike partner Luka Majcen who had the first real chance of the game, as FCBU winger Gopi flighted in a looping cross from the right wing which was met by the late-arriving Slovenian, who produced a first time volley towards the near post. The shot was saved with an agile dive towards the ball by goalkeeper Vishal Joon.

The breakthrough came in the 41st minute of the game from an FCBU set piece opportunity. After winning a free kick in a promising position on the left flank, Sanju Pradhan delivered a precise cross which was directed goalwards by Luka Majcen. After Vishal Joon saved the initial attempt, Pedro Manzi followed up to finish the rebound by putting the ball high into the roof of the net. This came as the former Hero I-League Golden Boot winner’s first goal of HILQ 2021.

RUFC looked to direct its attack on the Bengaluru United goal through their wings, with their wide players looking the most likely to find an opening. At the stroke of half time, RUFC built a well coordinated move up the pitch which saw all their attacking players combine smoothly. They could not find a scoring opportunity, but the play must have given the team an understanding of how to approach the second half.

Ten minutes after the restart, RUFC came agonisingly close to scoring an equalising goal from a set piece of their own this time. As Aman Thapa delivered a fantastically shaped cross towards the 6 yard box, it was begging for a final touch from an RUFC player to put the ball home. Instead, the ball bounced out tantalisingly for another corner kick.

Much like proceedings in the first half, the game went through a lull for a brief period, before springing back into action when Rajasthan United equalised through their striker Sukhjit Singh in the 78th minute. The goal came from a move that was begun by Aman Thapa, as the Rajasthan United number 7 seemed to cause Bengaluru United’s backline all sorts of trouble. He combined well to drive the ball up the field and feed Sukhjit Singh, who came onto his left foot to take a shot that took a wicked deflection off an FCBU player, leaving goalkeeper Kunzang Bhutia completely wrong footed. RUFC got the slice of luck with the deflection, but the side richly deserved their goal for their thorough domination throughout the second half.

The restored parity set up an exciting end to the game for the final few minutes, but things turned from bad to worse for FCBU when veteran centre back Kinshuk Debnath got a red card for hampering an opposition player when he was through on goal. From the resultant free kick within range of goal, Aman Thapa drew a smart save from keeper Kunzang Bhutia, who tipped a fierce shot over the bar.

Down to 10 men, FCBU looked to not only protect their one point, but also made efforts to grab all three through opportunistic attempts of their own.

Pedro Manzi got a half chance from a near post header, which drew a reaction save from Vishal Joon, who steered the danger clear. The match finished with both teams having their respective strong phases in the game, which eventually led to them cancelling each other out.

Rajasthan United remain in a favourable position on top of Group A with four points from two matches, while FC Bengaluru United have ground to make up.

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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FC Bengaluru United – 2 (Thokchom James Singh 64’, Luka Majcen (P) 90+5’)

Kalyani, September 14^th, 2021: Bragging rights were on the line at the Kalyani Municipality Stadium today, and those rights were in the end taken away by FC Bengaluru United, who saw off home side Mohammedan SC by two goals to nil (2-0).

Both sides had already made it to the quarter-finals, so the Black Panthers will be going through as Group A runners-up.

The game was goalless at half-time and owing to the rain-hit conditions, the deadlock was turning to be hard to break.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 64^th minute, when Bengaluru’s Thokchom James Singh rose above his marker to score the opener.

With only one goal separating the two sides in the business end, the game was headed towards a nerve-wracking finish in the final few minutes.

All doubts were cast aside however, when Mohammedan conceded a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Slovenian forward Luka Majcen stepped up and made no mistake in converting the spot-kick and rubberstamping Bengaluru United’s status as Group A kingpins with added authority.

 Match between Indian Air Force (IAF) and CRPF abandoned

The concurrent Group A fixture between Indian Air Force (IAF) and CRPF, which was scheduled to take place at the Mohun Bagan Athletic Club Ground, had to be called off due to unplayable conditions caused by heavy rain and water logging. Both sides have been awarded one point each.

CREDITS- DURAND CUP MEDIA

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The match is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off at the Kalyani Municipality Stadium and will be broadcast LIVE on the Addatimes app and website.

The Indian Air Force team lost their opening match to Mohammedan SC by a staggering 4-1 margin, making their game against Bengaluru United a must win.

The I-League 2^nd division side on the other hand did just enough in their first game to see off 10-men CRPF by a slender 1-0 margin. A win against the Airmen will all but guarantee a place in the knockout stages for United.

Speaking ahead of the game, Richard Hood, Head Coach, FC Bengaluru United said, “We were not expecting any set of 90 minutes to be easy at the Durand and were mentally prepared to work for our points. The approach remains the same going into our game v Air Force and that is to be ready to put in one more sincere shift and ensure that we secure the 3 points.

“It is hard to label any game as most or least important at this stage. Everyone involved is locked into the commitment to not drop any points and build on adding to our points tally through a steady and convincing performance.”

CREDITS- DURAND CUP MEDIA

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The CRPF football team will be fancying their chances for a top-two finish in Group A, ahead of their regimental counterparts Indian Air Force (IAF) Football Team who lost their opening match to local giants Mohammedan SC.

FC Bengaluru United too will be looking to make a mark, as their participation in the Durand Cup this year marks their maiden participation in Asia’s oldest football tournament.

CREDITS- DURAND CUP MEDIA

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Bengaluru, 4th September 2021: FC Bengaluru United and Spanish LaLiga side Sevilla FC have been nominated for the Best Internationalisation Strategy by the prestigious World Football Summit Awards. The two clubs have been nominated for the award alongside LaLiga outfit Valencia CF and Premier League team Everton FC. The winner of the Best Internationalisation Strategy award, presented by Deloitte, will be announced on 9 September and will receive the trophy during a ceremony on day one of WFS Europe at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano on 22 September.

Since their inception in 2018, FC Bengaluru United have been on a robust growth trajectory, both on and off the field. They impressed with a strong showing in the I-League Qualifiers in 2020, and earlier this year, were crowned BDFA Super Division League Champions. In what is a strong testimony to their growing process, FC Bengaluru United have been invited to participate in the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, beginning in the first week of September in Kolkata, along with other top-flight Indian football clubs. The club has also garnered praise for their holistic vision of promoting the sport right from the grassroots.

In January this year, FC Bengaluru United announced their partnership with LaLiga giants Sevilla FC, a five-year agreement, which focuses on technological innovation, development and projects in the sport as well as increasing the Spanish football club’s footprint in one of the world’s most vibrant and rapidly growing football markets.

“We are extremely excited and honoured to be nominated for the Best Internationalisation Strategy by the World Football Summit Awards,” said Gaurav Manchanda, FC Bengaluru United and Nimida Sports Founder. “Our partnership with Sevilla FC marked an important milestone in the way the game of football can grow and expand its horizons. Knowledge exchange and bringing the game close to its fans are just some of the key aspects that such partnerships look to achieve. We are delighted that our joint vision to grow the game with Sevilla FC has been recognised on such a prestigious platform.

Created in 2017, the WFS Awards recognise and reward the work carried out by professionals in the different fields and sectors of the football industry. Previous winners of the award include LaLiga and RC Celta Vigo. The winner of the award is judged on the basis of their presence in new markets, business scalability, brand expansion, new sources of income, business diversification, use of technology involved to develop and implement the strategy as well as CSR initiatives involved in this strategy.

Sevilla FC president José Castro was delighted with the nomination: “It is clear that we are taking the right steps in terms of internationalisation. Partnering with FC Bengaluru United meant our entry into the Indian market, which we had set as a strategic objective within our international expansion plan, and now this prestigious nomination clearly endorses our commitment to international growth.”

About Nimida Sports

Nimida Sports is the sports arm of the Nimida Group. Nimida Sports was set up in 2019 with a focus on developing sporting talent via a grassroots structure and providing a defined progression pathway for a sports person onto the national stage. With an emphasis on team sports such as Football, Hockey, Cricket and Basketball the company has set up academies and teams in Bengaluru, centered around local player development programs. The goal is to ensure the best that come through will be on par with the best in the country. The group owns Football Club Bengaluru United that competes in the I-League 2nd Division.

About WORLD FOOTBALL SUMMIT: WHERE THE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY MEETS

World Football Summit is where the football industry’s leading stakeholders meet to shape the future of the beautiful game. Our platform has evolved from an annual gathering held in Madrid, focused on the European market, to a growing series of events that cover the challenges and opportunities of the different regions and sectors in this thriving industry. WFS is powered by a global community of influential professionals sharing a unique passion for the business of sports and a mission to spark discussion, share knowledge and promote innovation to drive progress for the game and the industry.

About Sevilla FC

Sevilla FC is the second oldest football club in Spain and the oldest in La Liga. The team is the most celebrated and important club in Andalusia and the South of Spain, as well as the only continental title-holder in the Andalusia region.  Sevilla FC rank fifth in La Liga’s all-time historic rankings and also rank fifth in UEFA Champions League matches played by Spanish teams.

Sevilla FC also has an impressive list of honors: one La Liga title (45/46), five Spanish Cups (1935, 1939, 1948, 2007 and 2010), one Spanish Supercup (2007), six UEFA Europa Leagues (2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020) and one European Supercup (2006). Sevilla FC are the kings of the UEFA Europa League, with an unmatched six titles to their name.

Sevilla FC’s home, the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, is one of the temples of world football. With more than sixty years of history, it is the lucky stadium for Spanish national team, who have never lost on its soil. The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán also hosted the historic 1982 World Cup semi-final between Germany and France and the final of the 1986 UEFA Champions League between Steaua Bucharest and FC Barcelona. The Sánchez-Pizjuán is also in the running to host the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2022.

CREDITS- BENGALURU UNITED MEDIA

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The 31-year-old forward Subash Singh is a seasoned I-League campaigner, having played for various clubs including Air India, East Bengal, Salgaocar, Pune FC, Shillong Lajong, Bharat FC, Mohun Bagan, NEROCA FC, Real Kashmir and Mohammedan SC. He was also part of the Indian Super League side Mumbai City FC for the 2014 season.

“I am excited to be part of the United journey,” said Subash. “I strongly believe that we have the team – both in terms of personnel and spirit – to put in a great showing at the Durand Cup and qualify for the I-League as well,” added the versatile striker, who has also featured at the U-19 and U-23 level for India.

Bolstering the midfield will be Sanju Pradhan, who brings in valuable I-League and ISL experience. The 31-year-old player joins FCBU from RoundGlass Punjab. Having started his professional career with Air India, Sanju went on to play for East Bengal in 2008 – he played four seasons and was part of multiple trophy winning campaigns for them. He made 72 appearances for Air India and scored 10 goals. He was part of the ATK side that clinched the inaugural ISL title in 2014. The midfielder has played 55 ISL matches playing for various ISL clubs such as NorthEast United, FC Pune City and Mumbai City FC.

“I am excited about sharing my experience with the younger players in the team,” said Sanju. “The club is run extremely professionally, and I am really happy to be a part of it. I am looking forward to good game time and performing to my potential.”

The third signee is 23-year-old Denil Rebello who started his youth career at Salgaocar FC and played for their senior team in the 2019-20 Goa Pro League season. He was then signed by fellow Goan side Vasco Sports Club for the 2020-21 season.

FCBU have also roped in rising star Bedashwor Singh. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Bedashwor spent his youth days with ISL club Chennaiyin FC as a developmental player. During this time, he was loaned out to Minerva Punjab and Fateh Hyderabad in the 2016-17 and 2018-19 seasons respectively before joining I-league side TRAU FC in 2019, where he spent two seasons.

Commenting on the new signings, Richard Hood, Head Coach, FC Bengaluru United said “Sanju comes to us with a massive reputation – he has captained important teams and knows what a winning dressing room is like. He will bring us a lot of stability in building our attack and his track record of creating chances and finding gaps into the opponent’s final third is the primary reason the staff made sure that we secured him as soon as his availability was brought to our attention. Subash is an explosive athlete who has the ability to beat players and destabilize defenses with skill and speed while being a proven scorer of goals. Having joined our season from day one, we see that he takes his training hours seriously and is committed towards continuous improvements, which has rubbed off on others.”

CREDITS- FC BENGALURU UNITED MEDIA

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In a conversation with the FC Bengaluru United’s coach Mr Richard Hood, he shares about the pathway in youth development, fascination for coaching, his time at Bengaluru United and much more.

Excerpts 

From youth development to coaching Bengaluru United, how do you perceive this shift? 

A: Even before AIFF, I have been working in player development for 10 years. I started at Madras FC, then went to clubs like Chennai FC, Vasco Sports Club, TATA Football Academy and then Bengaluru FC. After this came my time with the AIFF, where I led the Player Development for them.

During my past experiences, I was surrounded by experienced people who coached at senior levels and I was closely working with them. Another boon happened when I attended a course in High Performance in 2017. It was a preparation for me to get into senior football coaching.

Well of course, the transition wasn’t easy. Doubts were all around because of my lack of experience with coaching, though I have been a part of football for a long time but not coaching in specific. So, there was a lot to do in convincing people and understanding the demands to coach at a senior level.

Now after 2 and a half years into my coaching career, the transition hasn’t been drastic or dramatic but it wasn’t easy also!

Now that you have spent so many years in player development, what according to you are the key aspects required for a coach to develop young Indian footballers? 

A: I think the basics are patience and clarity. If you’re sure what you’re working towards and have clarity from the start of the season, it helps.

 Then depending on the age group, you have to keep an eye out and focus on different aspects. It’s not easy or quick, it’s like a month-by-month or week-by-week process, where you’re guiding, managing and taking the responsibility to show them the right path ahead.

If you’re working for a club or academy, you play some part in developing them and shaping them so that’s why one needs to balance out between the whole comparative sides of this thing and as well as your main job is to produce players.

Now coming to your time with Bengaluru United, can you tell us what fascinated you to join this club? 

A: When I met them, the club was just a year old. But they had a plan in place for the upcoming five years. That clicked, we’re together as a unit focusing on achieving them and I’m confident we will do well.

My candidature as a coach didn’t happen suddenly. We met a few times, understood what we will need from each other. Then a lot of ideas and philosophies were exchanged, about how I can contribute to the club. Also they were very clear how they wanted to build a future with me.

Can you tell us about the project in place with FCBU? Also, please share about the philosophy of your club.

A: The immediate goal is to promote ourselves to the I-League. Then talking about coaching philosophy and playing style, all that stays relevant as long as we deliver the comparative objectives of the club. With this job you can’t really think about 5 years in the future but you have to work like you’re working for the future also.

The goal and vision for the club is clear, to make the best out of what we have in terms of titles and championships. As I said, the immediate goal is to climb in the I-League and then look for a stable season and squad.

Where we play now, we don’t get that much game time really, and if we get into the I-League we will get at least 4 to 5 months and also 6 to 8 weeks of pre-season, which helps in improving the squad.

Can you tell us about the challenges and learnings you faced in the last season of the I-League 2nd division? 

A: Well it was difficult due to the virus. There were challenges, like to put together a strong team as we had some players who were positive and it affected our starting XI initially.

That season was not much of a learning experience, because you don’t really know how to prepare for a 5-day tournament. Like, even historically we cannot go back and study because there was no such format which existed. So yes, we put our best foot forward, try to start the best team and produce results.

It helped us in some ways like after the tournament we understood the gaps we had, and since then we are altering them quite aggressively. So, I think just a general approach to the season based on what happened last season was very different and unusual.

What could be the realistic approach to develop the football scenario in Bengaluru? Can Bengaluru United play a role in it considering they now have international partners? 

A: In terms of Bengaluru, yes FCBU will do their best to produce players and make the academy self-reliant, but we are just a part of the puzzle in what’s happening right now in Bengaluru because you’re talking about a city of 12 million people.

So, a lot will depend on our academy and the youth setup here. To produce players for us who can play regularly at the highest level and of course go on to contribute to the country.  I think the help which will come from Sevilla FC, we will see how we best utilise it after these lockdown restrictions are lifted. There will be a lot of exchange of ideas and views as to how it will benefit everyone from youth to senior team.

Right now, how we see football in Bengaluru we would love to have a lot more players from the region in the team and we are always open to discover the next best player coming from this region.

Tell us about the squad and what is the club doing to improve and support them?

A: The squad is still in the building phase. The club will disclose the entire squad soon in the future, but talking about the players who have been with us for a long time are Arun Kumar, who is a local boy, lives just opposite the football stadium. He has come up quite strongly, he also won the best midfielder award last year in the BDFA League. I worked with him 7-8 years ago when I was with the Bengaluru FC youth team, and seeing improve everyday makes me proud. This is a good example of how the club is encouraging local talent.

Then in terms of outstation and foreign players, we have to give a lot of credit to the system we have put, as recently Robert Primus who is from Trinidad and Tobago got a call for the national team after just playing the BDFA super division, so it’s good to know people are keeping an eye on us.

Overall, we have many players who came from loans so we guarantee that they leave as a better player from here. We try our best and give every player the best possible facilities and coaching so that they can improve and help us in future.

What are you personally focusing on improving the team? 

A: The main thing we achieved is we are able to play with the style we wanted to. Gradually, the techniques and style is proving to be good for us as players are able to execute the game plan I’m coaching them. So, in recent seasons we were able to cover the points which we were losing earlier.

The major point is to be successful of course in what we are doing, we are getting close to the game model we hold here and get that success in holding this model. Given that the formats will be short and ruthless, you need to be ready for anything. You don’t know what the opponent will throw at you, so you need to be pragmatic as well, to let go of some things which belong to the original format. Just finding the balance and getting three points at the end of the day is the most important thing for me and the club.

Richard looks forward to a successful campaign in the future, and to achieve every goal set by the club because he thinks the club has set a good reputation.  The facilities and lifestyle they give to the players is pretty much respectable and encouraging.

He also mentioned that FCBU is competitive in every way and for the young players with great talents, the platform which Bengaluru United provides like correct nutrition, training regime and game time is great to grow and come into the light.

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Footballcounter went up and close with Daniel to uncover his incredible journey. The 24-year-old defined his progression and outplayed his hardships through discipline and determination while dreaming big at the same time. Here, he speaks about his journey, the challenges, the struggles, the fortunes and the way ahead.

Excerpts

#1. When did you start playing football? Was making a career in football always a thought?

My journey of falling in love with this beautiful game began when I was nine years old. Football was a favourite pastime in summer, but slowly, it changed my life.

Initial foundations were laid in Sacred Heart School, Vashi. There, I met my first coach Mr Peter Ochando from Kenya, who improved my basics.

Growing up, usually, people around tried to convince me that football can’t be my profession. But in my head, I was very clear that I want to be a footballer. For that, since the beginning, I have tried to work hard and convert my passion into a profession.

#2 What were the challenges you faced in your journey, and how did you tackle them? 

I faced plenty!

I started on a very bad note. I had an ACL injury which took time to heal. Football is a game that demands high performance and aptitude. This injury was a massive blow to me emotionally and physically. I was out of the game for almost a year and couldn’t walk during that time. 

But adversities are the best teacher of life. I’m blessed to have my parents by my side. They have always supported me in my ups and downs. 

Nothing is guaranteed in football. The best way is to learn and unlearn, work harder and try earning things for yourself.

#3 Which teams have you represented till now and what were the learnings? 

My first stint was with my school team, where I represented the team in various inter-district tournaments. Later, when I turned 14, Springfield FC came in my way, where I got the chance to play in the first division.

After that, I went to the Air India U-15 youth team to play in the Manchester United Premier Cup. The same year, because of my performances, I was promoted to the U-19 team, where I spent my youth career (2 years), learnt a lot and also won the Super Division League.

Then came my time in the MDFA Elite division with Union Bank of India, where I stayed for a year and went back to Air India.

However, after the stint with Air India, came the major injury where I was sidelined for a year. After a long recovery, it was difficult landing contracts, and it mounted pressure.

Finally, an opportunity with U-Mumba came along. Then came ARA FC, where I learned more about professional football as we played in the I-League 2nd division. After that, finally, FC Bengaluru United happened.

#4 Tell us about the coaches and mentors who have shaped you as a professional?

I have been very lucky and fortunate to train under some of the best coaches in India. Starting from my school coach Mr Peter Ochando and then Amin Bhaskar, Godfrey Pereira, Shyam Sawant, Anthony Fernandes, Julian D’silva, Vivek Nagul, Richard Hood and many more. This year, former Indian football player Bimal Ghosh sir has helped me a lot in various aspects, which I guess can be career-changing.

Singling out would be difficult as a favourite, but Mr Sunil Poojari has a unique contribution to my career. He has been guiding me in all those formative years and continues to.

#5 Tell me something about your time with FC Bengaluru United? 

Bengaluru United offer was like a blessing in disguise!

The last year was tough, I guess, for every athlete due to the ongoing pandemic. But I kept doing what I needed to and got the FCBU opportunity. It exposed me to a whole different level of professionalism under the expertise of coach Richard Hood and Indian legend Gouramangi Sir.

The season didn’t go as we wanted, but many learnings bestowed by my seniors will benefit the team in future challenges. I thank Bengaluru United for giving me this opportunity.

#6 What’s your take on Mumbai Football? 

At this moment, Mumbai football desperately needs a team that competes in the I-League. A bunch of talented players is waiting to burst onto the scene. So, I hope that happens. Mumbai football has had a legacy that needs to be revived.

Daniel wishes to continue with his team and fare better in the coming season. He believes with patience and faith, everything falls in place. And it’s always worth the wait.

Daniel also mentioned that he wants to follow the footsteps of his idol Rahul Bheke, who plays for Bengaluru FC and is also from Mumbai. He thanked his family and especially his brother Antonio, who has been a crucial part in achieving what he has done to date.

Eventually, Daniel aspires to play in the ISL, but his ultimate goal is to don the National colours.

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Also Read: Indian football team set to leave for Qatar on May 19 for World Cup Qualifiers

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The post From street football to I-League 2nd division: the inspiring story of Daniel Muthu appeared first on Football Counter.