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Bengaluru FC Media
Bengaluru FC skipper Sunil Chhetri put pen to paper on a fresh one-year deal at the club, the Blues announced on Tuesday. The deal, which adds to his current contract at the club, will see the AIFF Player of the Year be a part of the JSW Group-owned side until the end of the 2020-2021 season.
Thirty-three-year old Chhetri had earlier signed a three-year deal with the Blues ahead of their move to the Indian Super League last season. Chhetri, who is the longest serving player at the club, spoke of his delight at the extension.
“I have always said that this club and these fans have been the most fantastic experience of my life and signing a new deal here is only a way of giving back to a club that has given so much to me. I’ve made some fantastic memories here and I believe there are many more to make,” he said.
Having won the club’s Top Scorer of the Year award for five consecutive seasons, Chhetri is Bengaluru’s highest goal scorer, with 71 goals in 144 appearances.
“It’s special to have Sunil Chhetri play for us. He is, by far, the fittest player around and he has proven so many times that age is just a number. We are excited to have Sunil the player, more excited to have Sunil the leader and most excited to have Sunil the enigma. His hunger, desire and passion is immense and he is the torchbearer of Indian football. For us, the club was built around Sunil and continues to do so. We hope he stays for as long as possible at BFC in the capacity of a player and beyond,” said Parth Jindal, CEO of Bengaluru FC.
Bengaluru FC are currently in pre-season training at their residential facilities in Bellary, following which they will fly out to Spain for a preseason camp. The Blues’ first competitive match of the season kicks off in less than a month, when they take on Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FK in a two-legged Inter-Zone semifinal of the AFC Cup, on August 22 and 29.
Bengaluru FC kicked off the first leg of their 2018-19 pre-season with an open training session at the Bangalore Football Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Saturday. All seven new signings - Kean Lewis, Rino Anto, Sairuat Kima, Gursimrat Gill, Soram Poirei, Chencho Gyeltshen and Xisco Hernandez - along with retained players put in a shift under the watchful eyes of newly appointed Head Coach Carles Cuadrat.
The Blues begin their competitive season with a two-legged AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinal clash against Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FK and Cuadrat says the challenge ahead is one he is looking forward to.
“I’m very happy to be back. When you see the kind of supporters we have and the hard work that goes into the club, you feel proud to be part of it. We have a long preseason now and we will do our best to prepare ourselves for the Asian challenge. We’re aware about the quality of the opponents at this stage of the competition and that we need to be at our best going into the start of the campaign.”
While Cuadrat took to the field as Head Coach for the first time ever, skipper Sunil Chhetri became the first player to enter a sixth season as part of the club.
“It’s a great feeling to be back on the pitch. We’ve had some time away from the game to refresh ourselves and everyone is now very enthusiastic for the new season. There are a few new signings in the squad and with more time at our hand this time around, we want to be better prepared for the knockout stage of the AFC Cup,” said Chhetri on the sidelines of the first session.
The supporters turned up in numbers to create an atmosphere as the Blues introduced Assistant Coach Gerard Zaragoza, who has experience at Lekhwiya SC, Torpedo Kutaisi, Locomotive Tblisi and RCD Espanyol. Zaragoza’s most recent stint came as assistant to Michael Laudrup at Al-Rayyan SC in Qatar. Joining Zaragoza as part of the newly appointed backroom staff was Goalkeeping Coach Cristian Patru, formerly of FC Dynamo Brest in the Belarusian Premier League.
The Blues head to the BFC Residential Training facilities in Bellary on Monday, before travelling to Spain for the second leg of their pre-season.
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Bengaluru FC kicked off their 2017-18 pre-season with an open training session at the Bengaluru Football Stadium on Wednesday in front of the Blues’ faithful who turned out in numbers to vociferously cheer their heroes on.
With the AFC Cup Inter-zonal Semifinal against North Korean side April 25 SC fast approaching, the Blues wasted no time in starting off their pre-season training in the city three days post the ISL Draft.
Speaking on the sidelines of the season’s first ever training session, Head Coach Albert Roca was delighted to be back in action. “We’re happy to be back on the field. Our target is to build on last season’s progress as we move into a new chapter in the club’s history. But before our domestic season begins, we’ve got big matches coming up fast in the AFC Cup. We don’t want to waste any time and prepare the best way possible for the first leg at home. The Spain tour will also help us massively as it gives us a good opportunity to gel as a squad,” he said.
The day at the BFS began with an introductory meeting between the new players and the staff, both technical and non-technical as the club welcomed its new signings into the fold. Albert Roca and co. then quickly briefed the players about their expectations for the tough season ahead while encouraging them to train at the highest level always.
Club captain Sunil Chhetri said he was confident of the task ahead despite the reshuffle in the squad. “Things will get tougher from here given we have only just assembled a squad. But we’ve got a really good set of players that I’m confident will turn into a unit with time. There’s a nice blend of experience and youth and it’s going to be an exciting season ahead.”
On the field, it was all about sessions in endurance training which was overlooked by the entire coaching staff. The idea was to assess the players’ physical condition before the day was rounded off with a core session. The players and staff then interacted with the fans before posing for selfies and signing autographs.
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Bengaluru FC Head Coach Albert Roca said his stint with the champions of India would be a big challenge but one that he was confident of working hard towards and succeeding at, as the Spaniard interacted with the media for the first time since landing in the city, on Thursday.
The club also unveiled Carles Cuadrat who will serve as Roca’s assistant and has worked with the Head Coach at Barcelona, Galatasaray, Saudi Arabia and El Salvador (both national teams).
“I am proud to have signed for Bengaluru FC. We have arrived at a champion team so the challenge is big but we look forward to do our best and succeed which is the sole reason we’re here,” said Roca.
Roca’s first assignment will be the AFC Cup quarterfinal tie against Singapore side Tampines Rovers in September. “We have a difficult challenge first up with the AFC Cup game and we will do our best to progress.”
The coach arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday before meeting the team and staff on Wednesday and seemed pleased with the little he has got to see. “The management at BFC are thorough professionals which is important for us. The facilities are enough for us to work hard with and we aren’t here to complain about situations. Everyone here has opened their arms to us in a bid to help us achieve what we want to from now till the end of the season. We’ve started as one big family and that’s important,” he said.
Serving as an assistant to Frank Rijkaard for five seasons at Barcelona, one season at Galatasaray and two seasons at the Saudi Arabian national team before being appointed head coach of the El Salvador national team, Roca believes his travels through the leagues and countries will help him adapt to Indian football faster. “I believe the experiences we’ve had, not only at Barcelona but other places as well, have helped us prepare for India which is not easy but at the same time, won’t be too difficult because we are used to different cultures and travel.”
Roca admits he’s taken over the reins at a club where the bar has been raised high with the Blues having won a trophy every season since its existence in 2013 but maintains that developing football at the club and in the country remains a priority. “About the results and success, we cannot tell now. But we’re not here just for the results. We are here to improve football in Bengaluru and India and let’s see if we can make the fans happy at the end of the season. If we work hard, things will fall in place,” said.
The Blues begin their first session of pre-season on Monday.
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Goals from Len Doungel, Kim Song Yong, Sunil Chhetri, Alwyn George and CK Vineeth saw Bengaluru FC produce a dominant second half display to overcome a 1-0 deficit and register a 5-2 win over the India under-19 team in the second pre-season friendly between the two sides at the Bangalore Football Stadium, on Wednesday. The Blues had beaten the under-19s with an identical scoreline at the same venue on Saturday.
The U19 side took the lead in the 37th minute and against the run of play with a deflected shot from Vinit Rai finding the net. Bengaluru’s best chance of the half came when Chhetri’s header from a Beikhokhei Beingaichho cross was tipped away by U19 ’keeper Sukhdev Patil.
Ashley Westwood rung in three changes at half time, sending on Doungel, Kim and George to add to the Blues’ attack. It didn’t take long for the substitutes to have their say with Doungel slotting home five minutes from the hour mark. A volleyed effort from Kim saw the North Korean grab his first goal for the club, giving Westwood’s men the lead just a minute later. A calm run and finish from Chhetri saw him grab his second in as many pre-season games in the 66th minute.
The under-19s reduced the deficit with Lalhlimpuia, who collected a cross from the left and found the net from close to make it 3-2. Despite the Indian Colts’ best efforts to equalize, Alwyn George rose high to head home a parry by Patil to restore the Blues’ two goal advantage. CK Vineeth then became the Blues’ fourth substitute to score on the day when he collected a pass from George to slot home and make it 5-2 to the Blues.
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Bengaluru FC, on Saturday, announced that the club would be travelling to China as part of their pre-season preparations. Scheduled to leave on Wednesday, the I-League champions will play three practice matches over two weeks.
BFC will be taking on Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern AA on September 28. The team are current champions of the Hong Kong FA Cup and have won the First Division four times. In their second fixture, the Blues will be up against another club from Hong Kong, Kitchee SC. Kitchee are currently in the semifinals of the AFC Cup and have enjoyed much success in the League. Westwood’s team will end their trip with an October 9 game against Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F Football Club. Coached by former England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Guangzhou finished 3rd in the 2014 season of the Chinese Super League.
Coach Ashley Westwood said the tour would be an ideal preparation given the club’s participation in Asian competitions this season. “We are really looking forward to test ourselves in a foreign country at a different standard. We were proven and deserved champions of the I-League last season but now we are going to test ourselves at a different level. Playing some competitive games against teams from China and Hong Kong will give us an idea of how we will figure in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. We are really grateful to the management and the owners for supporting our view and enabling us to set the benchmark of one of the most professionally run clubs in India.”
Regrouping in July after winning the League last season, Bengaluru FC travelled to Goa for a couple of friendlies against Salgaocar and Pune FC. But the club believes the trip away from Indian shores will bode the club well for the season ahead. “The team has worked very hard to win the League last year and, as a club, we felt that they should get the best possible preparation for the AFC games and the season in general,” said Mustafa Ghouse, COO, Bengaluru FC.
Westwood hopes his boys make the most of the chance. “Hopefully the players will relish and flourish at this opportunity the club has given them to keep improving all the time and make a name for themselves in Indian football,” he concurred.
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Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood said his team is unfazed by the pressures of their title defence as the I-League champions kicked-off their pre-season training at the Bangalore Football Stadium, in Bangalore, on Friday.
The team, including the four new signings, went through a light session and Westwood stressed the need to get the boys to the standards the coaching staff has set for them, this season. “We are looking forward to the season and cannot wait to get started. We’ve only been away four weeks but it feels like ages. We have valuable additions and will stress on setting a platform for the coming season,” said Westwood.
While Bengaluru FC may not have shopped for the more famous names in the summer, Westwood believes the new signings bring with them just what the club needs. “In Lalchhuanmawia, we have a left-back who is athletic, has ability, a good left foot and more importantly will be serious completion for Keegan (Pereira). Eugeneson (Lyngdoh), in the midfield, has played well against us and is good with both feet while Udanta (Kumam) – for me – is one of the best young players in the country. He is a rough diamond and will learn things here.”
The gaffer believes the inclusions will create competition within the team for places in the starting XI. “We need genuine competition. Look at the German team. They would have made two or three changes and you wouldn’t even notice. It is important to create an environment like that.”
The biggest signing for Bengaluru FC this season was that of marquee player and former England under-20 skipper, Joshua Walker. The Englishman replaced Liberian John Menyongar – a move that raised a few eyebrows given the impact the latter had on Bengaluru’s title triumph. But Westwood put the questions and doubts to rest. “Menyongar was a No.10 – an attacking midfielder. But we had to get him to adapt in a role that suited our style of play. With Josh, he is more naturally suited to play in that position. He has a good range of passing. While both have their own strengths, Josh ticks a few more boxes than Menyongar. Also, he is ten years younger than Menyongar and at this club, we have our eye on the future.”
“But I have always maintained that we have to respect what Menyongar did for this club. If we could have had five foreign players, he would still be at the club. I’m sure Manchester United wanted to keep Rio Ferdinand and Chelsea, Ashley Cole. But that’s football – you have to evolve and improve. You can’t stand still.”
Apart from defending their I-League title, Bengaluru FC will compete in the AFC Cup and Westwood says the team will definitely have a plan. “We are going to go into Asia which means coming across teams with different styles. We’ll work with different combinations and situations and that’s what pre-season is for,” concluded Westwood.
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