02

JEFE
TALK
Happy New Year, everyone!

We’re a week into January and looking back,

we had so many reasons to be grateful for the
year – and in our case, the season – gone by.
We won the Federation Cup, had a fantastic
run in the AFC Cup again and started a new
chapter in the club’s history by entering the
ISL. The pressure is on 2018 to deliver!
Today, we host ATK in a game that I’m certain
will demand an extra bit of mental toughness
from us. Not to sound boastful, but we are not
used to losing too many games at home and I
cannot recall the last time we were handed
consecutive defeats at the Fortress. We find
ourselves in that situation and will need a
renewed belief in our strength at home, when
we step on the pitch.
ATK may not have had the kind of start they
would have wanted but with two wins and a
draw before this fixture, they will give more in
a bid to keep the momentum going.
We were a bit disappointed and frustrated
after the defeats to Chennaiyin and
Jamshedpur but it was important to not let
our shoulders drop completely. And I couldn’t
have asked for a better response than the one
the boys gave me against Kerala Blasters, in
Kochi. We were up against massive home
support but we played like we would at
Kanteerava. It was fantastic that we could do
this for the fans as we knew how much it
“Today, we host ATK in a
game that will demand
an extra bit of mental
toughness from us.”
meant to them. To have more than 100 of
them travel to support us when they could
have been partying in Bengaluru tells you so
much about what this club means to them.
I am hoping that the team uses that win as a
platform to set things right at home. Like
Kerala, ATK too will have a few players who
have worn the BFC shirt in the past and while
it will be nice to meet them, I hope they don’t
get too comfortable in conditions they know
well!
The game is going to be very interesting on
the pitch and in the stands too and I hope we
start the New Year just like we ended the last
one.
Love
Albert Roca
FORM GUIDE
W W L L W D
Last 5 games
Goals Scored 17 I Goals Conceded 10
NEW FOES, OLD FACES!
T he Blues are up against defending
champions ATK tonight as we reach
the half-way stage in the 2017-18
Indian Super League. In eight games since the
start of the season, Bengaluru have grabbed
five thrilling wins while suffering three losses.
However, as the race for top-4 heats up with
the league stage entering the second half,
tonight’s game provides a perfect platform for
both sides to gain the necessary push to make
it to the play offs.
While 7th placed ATK began their season
slowly, picking up just two points in their
opening four games, they’ve managed to grab
two wins and a draw in the next three. Their
recent form, coupled with their experience of
making it to the play-offs in each edition so far
along with winning the competition twice, they
won’t an easy opponent for the Blues.
Nonetheless, Bengaluru will be confident of
their chances after a massive win over
W W L D
Last 5 games
Goals Scored 6 I Goals Conceded 8
neighbours Kerala Blasters a week earlier.
While former Bengaluru gaffer Ashley
Westwood returns to his old stomping ground
for the first time since 2016, albeit in the rival
camp and as a Technical Director, a host of
former players too arrive at the Fortress
having played some part in the Blues’ success
over the years. Some of them include Keegan
Perreira, Darren Caldeira, Shankar
Sampingiraj and Robin Singh.
However, fans’ favourite Eugeneson Lyngdoh
misses out tonight’s game owing to a
long-term injury.
Over the years, the Blues faithful have built
and cherished the rivalry with teams from
Kolkata, as the games always provided the
right amount of thrill and drama. When
two-time ISL champions ATK take the field
against the two-time Champions of India
Bengaluru FC at the Fortress tonight, it
promises to be a cracker.
 THE WEEK THAT WAS
ISL WRAP
Unbeaten in three, Chennaiyin
FC ended 2017 atop the Indian
Super League standings
following a win over
Jamshedpur FC at the JRD TATA
Sports Complex.
Kerala Blasters and NorthEast
United parted ways with their
Head Coaches. Rene Meulensteen
stepped down from his position
down south while Joao De Deus
cut short his stint with the side
from the hills, after poor starts to
the campaign from both sides.
FC Goa and Kerala Blasters
suffered their first home
defeats of the 2017-18 Indian
Super League campaign. While
FC Goa went down to FC Pune
City, it was the Blues who
inflicted a New Year’s Eve loss
on Kerala Blasters.
A brace against Kerala Blasters
means Blues’ hitman Miku is just
one goal shy of Ferran
Corominas atop the ISL scoring
charts. The Venezuelan popped
up with two goals in injury time
to take his tally to eight goals, as
Corominas netted his ninth of the
season against ATK.
06 BFC SQUAD
Head Coach: Assistant Coach:
Albert Roca Marc Huguet

GOALKEEPERS
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
28 Lathuammawia Ralte
32 Calvin Abhishek
DEFENDERS
2 Rahul Bheke
3 Collin Abranches
4 Zohmingliana Ralte
5 Juan Gonzalez
6 John Johnson
15 Subhasish Bose
22 Nishu Kumar
MIDFIELDERS
8 Lenny Rodrigues
10 Harmanjot Khabra
13 Eduardo Garcia
14 Dimas Delgado
16 Erik Paartalu
17 Boithang Haokip
19 Antonio Dovale
20 Alwyn George
30 Malsawmzuala
FORWARDS
7 Miku
9 Braulio Nobrega
11 Sunil Chhetri
18 Thongkhosiem Haokip
21 Udanta Singh
25 Daniel Lalhlimpuia
 ATK SQUAD
Head Coach:
Teddy Sheringham

GOALKEEPERS
Kunzang Bhutia 13
Jussi Jaaskelainen 22
Debjit Majumder 24
DEFENDERS
Nalappan Mohanraj 3
Tom Thorpe 5
Jordi Montel 6
Keegan Pereira 20
Anwar Ali 23
Augustin Fernandes 31
Prabir Das 33
Ashutosh Mehta 36
MIDFIELDERS
Conor Thomas 4
Ryan Taylor 8
Eugeneson Lyngdoh 14
Darren Caldeira 15
Shankar Sampingiraj 16
Rupert Nongrum 17
Hitesh Sharma 18
Ronald Singh 21
Bipin Singh 29
Zequinha 87

FORWARDS
Robin Singh 9
Robbie Keane 10
Jayesh Rane 11
Njazi Kuqi 99
10
KEY MEN BEN
He's been deployed away from his natural position as a
midfielder, but Harmanjot Khabra has made
right-back his own territory! Despite going up against
some tricky wingers, the 29-year-old has consistently
impressed, often bombing forward to offer support in
attack as well. His partnership with Udanta down the
flank has been vital to the Blues, and his commanding
presence at the back makes the Blues' defence tough
to break down.
LUCIAN GOIAN
HARMANJOT KHABRA

Tall and towering, Juanan adds a new dimension to the

Blues' otherwise short-passing game. The Spaniard's
long diagonals for Udanta are a treat to the eye, and
often set up attacking moves for Roca's men. Juanan
also adds to the Blues' threat at set-pieces with his 6'4
frame and while his aerial prowess is no mystery, the
30-year-old also packs a cannon of a left foot, one that's
capable of launching a pile-driver from free-kicks.
LUCIAN
JUANAN GOIAN
GONZALEZ

He may not have a clean sheet to show in his last three

appearances, but our big man between the sticks has
put in some massive performances to keep the Blues in
the game. Though he was not called to action for most
parts of the clashes against Jamshedpur and Kerala
Blasters, the 25-year-old has pulled off the saves when
he's been asked to, and is unlucky to have lost clean
sheets to late goals in the last two games.
LUCIAN GOIAN
GURPREET SINGH
KEY MEN ATK
ATK’s No. 1 choice between the sticks has been in good
form this season keeping 3 clean sheets in 6 starts and is
second only behind Subrata Paul (5). Having already faced
the Blues five times in the past while playing for Mohun
Bagan, Debjit has managed to up his game in these high
intensity clashes. For the record, the ‘keeper has kept 3
clean sheets, with the Blues' only victory coming in the big
2017 Fed Cup final. Now, with another inter-city rivalry
brewing in the ISL, the 29-year-old will definitely play a key
LUCIAN
DEBJIT GOIAN
MAJUMDER role tonight for ATK.

The 20-year old attacker has been a key man for

Sheringham’s side and has started six games this
season. A player who is comfortable with the ball, Hitesh
likes to sit right behind the striker and link up play
between the midfield and forward lines. Having already
played in the I-League for two seasons with Mumbai FC,
the Jalandhar-born Tata Football Academy graduate has
tasted considerable amount of senior team action and
will be one to watch out for.
LUCIAN GOIAN
HITESH SHARMA

ATK’s attack will be led by skipper and Republic of Ireland’s

record goalscorer Robbie Keane, who, after recovering
from an injury has breathed life into the visitors’ front line.
The attacker who made his debut against Chennaiyin in a
tough 2-3 loss, went on to set up the goal at Mumbai in
ATK’s first win this season, before netting the winner
against Delhi at home and scoring another goal against
Goa on Wednesday. At 38, Keane is still a workhorse and
will keep the Blues’ defense busy tonight.
LUCIAN GOIAN
ROBBIE KEANE
CARLES CUADRAT
14
16
FROM THE STANDS I ULLAS MARAR
STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORD
In the days leading up to our first season in the
Indian Super League, the fans were nervous and
excited in equal measure. Our last season in the
I-League had been a mixed bag and we knew
why. We were missing a goal machine up front.
So yes, it was great to see wingers and central
midfielders but the one announcement we were
truly looking forward to, was that of a striker
being signed. Correction, not just ‘a’ striker, but
someone who could boss it in the third most
watched league in the world. Would we sign a
former PL superstar? Would it be someone
whose name alone could sell shirts?
No. We are Albert Roca’s BFC and we do things
a little differently. A mere name and past glory
never cuts it here. So we announce Nicolás
Ladislao Fedor Flores. Most of us had never
heard of him and YouTube compilations have a
way of making Ravel Morrison look better than
Paul Scholes. But when we found that he had
been the La Liga Player of the Month not so long
ago, we really couldn’t wait to see him play.
What got us excited were the murmurs coming
out of the BFC camp. Fans who got an early
glimpse of the Venezuelan poacher couldn’t stop
raving. ‘This is unlike anything we have seen
here,’ was the refrain. Skipper Sunil Chhetri
alluded to the same at a fan interaction. And if he
thought so highly of a player, who were we to
second-guess him? The question now was, could
he actually do it when it matters?
A striker’s currency is goals and Miku had none
to show for his performance in the first game
against Mumbai City. But far from being
disappointed, we were dazzled by what we saw.
Here was a guy who made football look like art.
He would motion with his boot and the ball
would obey. Up against three defenders, with a
little pirouette he would break free; nimble,
effortless and never stressed. We didn’t need
goals. We knew that with that level of skill, they
would inevitably come.
When he netted his maiden goal, we were
introduced to the delightful celebration. The
man who shouldered goal-scoring
responsibilities at BFC before Miku arrived, is
known for everything but his celebrations so this
was a fun change. Not just the fans, even Udanta
– with whom he has developed a telepathic
understanding in no time – seems to have taken
a liking to that celebration.
Once Miku scored his first, the proverbial
floodgates opened. He has three braces already,
two of them coming in difficult away fixtures in
Goa and Kerala. To think we are still just getting
to the best part of the season. Nothing can ever
be taken for granted in football but if this man
stays fit, the fans are in for the longest
Christmas celebrations they have had.
I’m sure a certain Mr. Chhetri is smiling at the
fans and saying, “remember I told you so.”
 18
ACADEMY WRAP
U18 YOUTH LEAGUE
BFC U18s are currently leading the
Chennai-Karnataka Zone with 9 points after three
rounds. They began with a massive 9-1 win over
Raman Vijayan Soccer School in Vidyanagar before
beating Ozone FC 7-0 at the FSV Arena. A third win
on the trot was sealed after another dominant 5-0
victory over Chennai City at home. Attacker B.
Lalnuntluanga is currently the top-scorer with 5
goals.

U15 YOUTH LEAGUE

BFC U15s have sealed their progress to the next
round, after confirming their second place in the
Bengaluru zone with 22 points in 9 games so far.
They are six behind leaders Ozone FC with a game
in hand, and eight ahead of third placed Roots
Football School. The youngsters who have notched
seven wins overall have also scored a massive 67
goals with Saikat Das being the leading goalscorer
for the side with 14 strikes.

U13 YOUTH LEAGUE

BFC U13s, comprising of an all Bengaluru squad,
are currently second in the Bengaluru Zone with
15 points after five straight wins. The Blue Colts
who boast a 100% record have three games in
hand compared to leaders Roots FS (24 points),
and have scored an impressive 34 goals so far.
Striker Aaron Joshua who has netted 14 times,
along with medio Soham Varshneya (7 goals)
have impressed in front of the goal.
FIXTURES
NOVEMBER
19 BENGALURU FC vs MUMBAI CITY FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium 2-0

26 BENGALURU FC vs DELHI DYNAMOS Sree Kanteerava Stadium 4-1

30 FC GOA vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 4-3

DECEMBER
08 NORTHEAST UNITED vs BENGALURU FC Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium 0-1

15 FC PUNE CITY vs BENGALURU FC Balewadi Sports Complex 1-3

17 BENGALURU FC vs CHENNAIYAN FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium 1-2

21 BENGALURU FC vs JAMSHEDPUR FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium 0-1

31 KERALA BLASTERS vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 1-3

JANUARY
07 BENGALURU FC vs ATK Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

14 DELHI DYNAMOS vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

18 MUMBAI CITY FC vs BENGALURU FC Mumbai Football Arena -

23 TRANSPORT UNITED vs BENGALURU FC Changlimthang Stadium -

26 BENGALURU FC vs NORTHEAST UNITED Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

30 BENGALURU FC vs TRANSPORT UNITED Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

FEBRUARY
03 ATK vs BENGALURU FC Salt Lake Stadium -

06 CHENNAIYIN FC vs BENGALURU FC Nehru Stadium -

09 BENGALURU FC vs FC GOA Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

16 BENGALURU FC vs FC PUNE CITY Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

25 JAMSHEDPUR FC vs BENGALURU FC JRD Tata Sports Complex -

06 JAMSHEDPUR FC vs BENGALURU FC Kalinga Stadium -

MARCH
TBD BENGALURU FC vs CHURCHILL BROTHERS Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

01 BENGALURU FC vs KERALA BLASTERS Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

10