Newturf forILeaguechamps
ISL DEBUTANTS Former AFC Cup finalists and twice ILeague champions hope to strike it rich NEWDELHI: CREDENTIALS
The two-time I-League champions will be taking part in the Indian Super League (ISL) for the first time this season.
The Bangalore-based team, which was established in 2013, was one of the most successful sides in the I-League. With two titles in four seasons, they were a force to be reckoned with and their performance in the Federation Cup and the AFC Cup cemented their spot in Indian football history.
The 2016-17 season did go well for them as they failed to win crucial games and as a result, were fourth at the end of the season. But, they became the first Indian side to reach the AFC Cup final and although they were beaten by Air Force Club Iraq, their performances captured the imagination of almost every Indian football fan.
In 2017, after losing out in the inter-zone play-off final of the AFC Cup, Bengaluru FC bid for an Indian Super League spot and in process, became the latest addition to the tournament. The side, which will be captained by Sunil Chhetri, played their preseason matches in Spain and although this is their first appearance, the Blues will surely be looking to start their journey on a high. 2013: Established
2013-14 and
2015-16: I-League champions
2014-15 and 2016-17: Federation Cup champions 2016: Reached final of AFC Cup, Asia’s second-tier club competition after the AFC Champions League. They became the first Indian club to achieve the feat. The youngster from Manipur made his debut for Bengaluru FC in 2014, but his pace and dribbling power has made him a fan favourite. He was a product of the TFA and although he was part of the Mumbai City FC squad in 2016, he played just one match. The
21-year old made his international debut in a World
Cup qualifier against Iran. The India skipper is one of the few players to win the I-League with three different sides (Dempo, Churchil Brothers and Bengaluru FC). With 55 goals from 96 games, he is India’s top scorer. His leadership was the key to Bengaluru’s success. Foreign players The 32-year-old is here after lengthy stints with Rayo Vallecano and Getafe. At Getafe he scored 26 goals in 90-plus appearances. He has also represented Celtic in the Champions League. At the international level, Miku has 51 caps for Venezuela and his most notable goal came against Brazil during the 2015 Copa America. Home Away 19 vs Mumbai City, Bangalore 26 vs Delhi Dynamos, Bangalore 30 vs FC Goa, Goa
08 vs NorthEast United, Guwahati
14 17 21 31
vs FC Pune City, Pune vs Chennaiyin FC, Bangalore vs Jamshedpur FC, Bangalore vs Kerala Blasters, Kochi 07 vs ATK, Bangalore
14 vs Delhi Dynamos, Delhi 18 vs Mumbai City, Mumbai 26 vs NorthEast United,
Bangalore
31
vs Chennaiyin FC, Chennai
03 vs ATK, Kolkata
08 vs FC Goa, Bangalore
16 vs FC Pune City, Bangalore 25 vs Jamshedpur FC,
Jamshedpur
01
KOLKATA:
vs Kerala Blasters, Bangalore