 | ||||
| Full name | Bengaluru Football Club (ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಕಾಲ್ಚೆಂಡು ಕ್ಲಬ್) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Blues (ಬ್ಲೂಸ್) | |||
| Short name | BFC | |||
| Founded | 20 July 2013; 12 years ago (2013-07-20)[1] | |||
| Ground | Kanteerava Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 25,810[2] | |||
| Owner | JSW Sports | |||
| Chairman | Sajjan Jindal | |||
| Head coach | Renedy Singh (interim) | |||
| League | Indian Super League | |||
| 2024–25 | Indian Super League, 3rd of 13 Playoffs:Runners-up | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
| Departments of Bengaluru FC | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| Football (Men's) | Futsal (Men's)[3] | eSports[4] |
| | |
| Football (Women's) | Football (Reserves & Academy)[5] | |
Bengaluru Football Club ([ˈbeŋɡəɭuːɾu]ⓘ;Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.ಎಫ್.ಸಿ) is an Indian professionalfootball club based inBengaluru,Karnataka. The club competes in theIndian Super League, the top flight ofIndian football.[6] The club was established on 20 July 2013,[7] and began its first competitive season in theI-League on 22 September the same year. Since its inception, the club has won two I-League titles including one in its debut season, twoFederation Cup titles,[8] one Indian Super League Cup title, and aSuper Cup championship making itfourth-most successful club in Indian football.
The club is owned and operated byJSW Sports and its managing directorSajjan Jindal.[1] Bengaluru has played its home matches at theSree Kanteerava Stadium since the beginning of the2014–15 season. Despite only playing four seasons in the I-League, the club was considered one of the model clubs of Indian football.[9] Bengaluru drew praise for bringing a new sense of professionalism to Indian football, including the use of on field equipment meant to help player fitness.[10]
On 22 September 2013, Bengaluru FC played its inaugural match, which ended in a 1–1 draw againstMohun Bagan. The club went on to win the I-League in itsdebut season and again in2015–16.[11] They won the ISL Cup title in2018–19. As well as three league titles, Bengaluru also won two Federation Cups in2015 and2017 and a Super Cup in2018. Between 2015 and 2018, the club represented India in Asian club competition, competing in theAFC Cup for four consecutive years. During the2016 AFC Cup, Bengaluru reached thefinal and lost 1–0 toAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya of Iraq.[12][13] On 28 September 2019, it was announced that the club had entered into a partnership with theScottish Premier League clubRangers.[14] In 2022, Bengaluru FC beatMumbai City to win the131st Durand Cup.[15]
In January 2013, it was reportedMumbai Tigers (then known asDodsal FC) had failed to register for the upcomingI-League 2nd Division.[16] It was also rumoured the club could instead enter theI-League, India's top football league, directly through cash payment to theAll India Football Federation (AIFF) and a promise to build a new football stadium.[16] On 12 January, it was announced the AIFF had called for an executive meeting to decide whether to allow teams to enter directly the I-League for the2013–14 season.[17] At around the same time, uncertainty whether institutional clubsAir India,ONGC and then-suspendedMohun Bagan would be allowed to play in the league that season arose.[17]
During the AIFF executive meeting on 15 January, it was officially announced the federation, in an effort to make the I-League more pan-Indian, would accept bids for two new, direct-entry clubs for the 2013–14 season from corporate groups.[18] Corporate groups could bid to create teams outsideKolkata andGoa, and would have to create new infrastructure in their cities.[18] The winning bids would be announced in March 2013 and the new clubs would be replacements for Air India and ONGC.[18]
On 8 March 2013, it was reported JSW Group, which had previously considered forming a football club inBangalore, was interested in bidding for a spot in the I-League.[19] It was also reportedAR Khaleel, the President of theKarnataka State Football Association and a senior official of the AIFF, had suggested Bangalore could be a host venue for the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and that a corporate team in the city could help build new infrastructure.[19] On 15 May that year, it was announced the AIFF had received three bids for two direct-entry spots.[20] The bids came from JSW Group,Dodsal Group, and a consortium fromKerala.[20]
On 28 May 2013, it was officially announced JSW Group had won the rights to form a direct-entry team for the 2013–14 I-League season in Bangalore, which would be done through the sports branch, JSW Sports.[21] It was also announced JSW Group would set up a youth academy in Bangalore and would construct new infrastructure.[21] On 20 July, JSW Group officially launched the club as "Bengaluru Football Club" at launch event at theBangalore Football Stadium, which was announced as the club's home stadium for the upcoming season.[1] Along with the club name and stadium, the squad, club crest, colours and home kit for the season were revealed.[1]
Immediately after winning the rights to form a direct-entry side, JSW Group began assembling a team. The club's first signing was midfielderThoi Singh fromMumbai Tigers.[22] On 2 July 2013, it was announced formerBlackburn Rovers assistant managerAshley Westwood would become the club's first head coach.[23] On 16 July, JSW Group signed the club's first two foreign players, defendersJohn Johnson andCurtis Osano.[24] Three days later, it was announced the club had signed theIndia national team captainSunil Chhetri fromSporting Portugal B.[25]
On 22 September that year, the club played their first official match in theI-League againstMohun Bagan atBangalore Football Stadium. After a scoreless first-half, Bengaluru scored their first official goal in the 49th minute throughSean Rooney.[26] In injury time, Mohun Bagan equalized throughChinadorai Sabeeth to end the match 1–1.[26] Their next match brought Bengaluru's first win, defeatingRangdajied United 3–0 at the Bangalore Football Stadium.[27]
The club played their first away game on 26 October 2013 againstEast Bengal at theKalyani Stadium. In their first losing away game, Bengaluru lost 0–2 to the Kolkata-based side.[28] Exactly a month later, the club won their first away match againstSalgaocar at theDuler Stadium 2–1.[29]
On 15 January 2014, Bengaluru played the first game in their first domestic cup competition, theFederation Cup,[30] againstSporting Goa at theManjeri Stadium. Bengaluru won 5–3 but went on to draw one match and lose another, and were knocked out in the group stage of the tournament.[31]
On 21 April 2014, Bengaluru defeatedDempo 4–2 at theFatorda Stadium to claim their firstI-League title in their debut season.[32] During the2014–15 season, Bengaluru again participated in the Federation Cup, winning their first trophy on 11 January 2015 after defeating Dempo 2–1 in thefinal. Despite the cup victory and entering the season as defending league champions, Bengaluru lost the I-League title on the last day of the season, when they drew 1–1 against Mohun Bagan, who gained the title. Despite losing the title, Bengaluru ended the season with a 13-match unbeaten run. Bengaluru also participated in the Asian club competition for the first time but failed to qualify for theAFC Champions League; the team also reached Round 16 for theAFC Cup.
Thenext season, Bengaluru won their second I-League title, defeating Salgaocar 2–0 at home on 17 April 2016. The club also advanced further into the AFC Cup, reaching the quarter-finals after defeatingKitchee 3–2 in Round 16. Despite the club's achievement, Ashley Westwood left the club at the end of the season.
Bengaluru FC appointed formerFC Barcelona assistant coachAlbert Roca as the head coach for two seasons.[33] In his first game in charge of the club, Bengaluru FC won 1–0 againstTampines Rovers in the first leg of the quarter-finals of theAFC Cup 2016, and became the third Indian team to qualify for the tournament's semi-finals. They reached the final on 19 October 2016, the first Indian team to do so, by defeating defending championsJohor Darul Ta'zim F.C. 3–1 at home in the second leg of the semi-finals. On 5 November, Bengaluru played against the Iraqi clubAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the final at theSuheim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar, losing the game 0–1.[34] Bengaluru's first2016–17 I-League season under Roca was not as successful; the club finished the season in fourth position, the lowest since 2013, after a winless run of seven games in January and February 2017. The club won their second Federation Cup title under Albert Roca in 2017, defeating Mohun Bagan 2–0 in the final. The club also reached the Inter-zonal final in the2017 AFC Cup.
After two seasons as an assistant coach at Bengaluru FC,Carles Cuadrat took over as the head coach in July 2018[35] for the first time in his career. In his debut season, Bengaluru won the fifth edition of the ISL for the first time. The season brought multiple records, including an 11-game undefeated run in the league and a six-game winning run. They became the first team to finish on top of the regular season twice in succession and the first team to win the title after finishing top in the league phase. In 2019–20, Bengaluru reached the ISL play-offs after finishing third in the league phase. Under Cuadrat, Bengaluru set new records in 2019–20, becoming the first team to keep 11 clean sheets and went on a 17-match unbeaten run at home, 2 full seasons not losing in their Kanteereva Stadium. Towards the end of the 2019–20 season, Bengaluru beatParo FC 9–1 at theKanteerava in theAFC Cup qualifiers; their biggest-ever win.[36] In January 2021, Bengaluru FC parted ways with Carles Cuadret on mutual consent.[37] The change of coach did not bring any benefit to the team, which worsened its position in the table with the new coach and only got 2 wins in the remaining 11 games of the championship.[38]
On 12 February 2021, the club announcedMarco Pezzaiuoli as their new head coach on a three-year performance-based contract.[39] Under his stewardship, Bengaluru began its2020–21 Indian Super League campaign on 20 November againstNorthEast United with a 4–2 win,[40] followed by a 7 match winless streak. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in a row,[41] confirming the departure of Marco.[42] On 14 December 2023, the club roped in Spanish tactician Zaragoza as new head coach until 2025.[43]
_in_the_Rameshwara_temple_at_Keladi.jpg)
Bengaluru FC' home livery was unveiled during the 21 July JSW launch; the crest features theBangalore Palace coloured white to symbolize the victory of theWodeyars, who won the palace back.[44][non-primary source needed] In the middle of the crest, a blueGandaberunda – a mythical two-headed bird, symbolizes the pride, resilience, and bravery of the people of Bengaluru.[44] The Gandaberunda is taken from thecoat of arms of the state ofKarnataka.[44] On 24 January 2015, Bengaluru revealed Eddie The Eagle as its official mascot.[45][non-primary source needed]
The club colour is blue; it is often known by the nickname "The Blues".[46]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Back sponsor | Chest sponsor | Sleeve sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | - | JSW | - | ||
| 2014-17 | Puma[47] | ||||
| 2017-18 | Kingfisher | SF Sonic | Epson | ||
| 2018-19 | Kia[48] | Nissin | |||
| 2019-20 | DafaNews | ||||
| 2020-21 | JSW[49] | DafaNews | |||
| 2021-22 | ZebPay | ||||
| 2022-23 | Parimatch Sports | Dream11 | Popeyes | ||
| 2023-24 | Dove Men | Quest | |||
| 2024-25 | Batery | White Gold | Radisson Rewards | ||
| 2025-26 | Century | ||||
In July 2014, Bengaluru signed a deal withPuma, which became the club's kit sponsor from the 2014–15 season.[50] The club's parent companyJSW Group was the team's principal sponsor from inception until 2018, when the club signed a four-year deal with South Korean car companyKia Motors[51] as the principal sponsor. The contract was terminated by the start of the 2020–21 season and JSW Group returned as the principal sponsor.[49]
In July 2020, DafaNews renewed partnership with Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC.[52] Partnership was extended the deal by a year, by which DafaNews will remain the club's Official Digital News Portal.
         2013–14 |    2014–15 |  2015–16 |    2016–17 |     2017–18 |   2018–19 |
   2019–20 |    2020–21 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |    2023–24 |    2024–25 |
In their first season, Bengaluru FC played home games atBangalore Football Stadium in the city centre. The West stand was the largest and most capacious stand, and housed the VIP boxes during I-League and other major matches. During the club's launch, it was announced the team would play atBangalore Football Stadium for the2013–14 I-League season.[1] The stadium had a capacity of 15,000 and its pitch was covered withastroturf.[53]
From the2014–15 season, the club started playing home games at the 24,000 capacitySree Kanteerava Stadium.[54] There are eight entrances to the stadium, and nine stands are used for Bengaluru FC matches. West Block A stand is the largest stand in the stadium and is home to the West Block Blues supporters' club. Due to criticisms of the artificial pitch at Bangalore Football Stadium, the new stadium's pitch is covered with natural grass. All stands except the North Stand have permanent seating. Some fans refer to the Sree Kanteerva Stadium as 'The Fortress".[55]
Bengaluru FC is reputed to have one of the most vocal fanbases in India. The fans are known as theWest Block Blues,[56] which is named after West Block A in the Bangalore Football Stadium.[57][58]
The players and the coach have often acknowledged the fans' support in their success, and called them "The 12th Man".[59][60][61] Apart from supporting Bengaluru FC, the fan club has frequently supported theIndia national football team, and unfurled a 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) banner at the India vsGuam game.[62]
In the initial years of the club, Bengaluru FC played in theI-league before joining theIndian Super League. The club played important games againstMohun Bagan, sparking a rivalry between the clubs which continued in ISL when Mohun Bagan joined the league.[63]
Bengaluru FC has also developed a famous rivalry with South Indian clubKerala Blasters.[64] The rivalry stems from the competition between the clubs' fan bases;Manjappada and Bengaluru's West Block Blues.[65]
| Opponent | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennaiyin (2017–2025) | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 16 | +13 | 58.88 |
| Kerala Blasters(2017–2025) | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 060.00 |
| Mohun Bagan SG (2013–2025) | 28 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 28 | 47 | −19 | 021.43 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
| Role | Name | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach |  Renedy Singh (interim) | [68] |
| Assistant coach | Vacant | |
| Vacant | [69] | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vacant | – |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Vacant | |
| Team analyst | Prateek Chopra | |
| Reserves coach | Bibiano Fernandes | [70] |
| Academy head coach | Sandesh Bhoite | [71] |
| Head Physio | Naved Hameed | |
| Assistant physio | Sanket Thakar | |
| Masseur | Manu Prasad |
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Director of Football | Darren Caldeira |
| Technical Consultant |  Albert Roca |
| Head of youth development |  Jan van Loon |
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Westwood |  England | 2 July 2013 | 31 May 2016 | [72] |
| Albert Roca | Spain | 6 July 2016 | 31 May 2018 | [73] |
| Carles Cuadrat | Spain | 1 July 2018 | 6 January 2021 | [74] |
| Naushad Moosa (Interim) | India | 6 January 2021 | 25 February 2021 | |
| Marco Pezzaiuoli |  Germany | 12 February 2021 | 8 June 2022 | [75] |
| Simon Grayson | England | 8 June 2022 | 9 December 2023 | [76] |
| Renedy Singh (Interim) | India | 9 December 2023 | 13 December 2023 | |
| Gerald Zaragoza | Spain | 14 December 2023 | 14 November 2025 | [77] |
| Season | Division | League | Federation Cup | Super Cup | AFC competitions | Top Goalscorer | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Pos | Play-offs | ACL Elite | ACL Two | Name | Goals | ||||
| 2013–14 | I-League | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 47 | 1st | – | GS | Did not exist | – | Sunil Chhetri ♦ | 14 | |
| 2014–15 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 35 | 19 | +16 | 37 | 2nd | W | PR1 | R16 | Eugeneson Lyngdoh,Robin Singh | 6 | |||
| 2015–16 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 17 | +7 | 32 | 1st | QF | – | RU | Sunil Chhetri, Kim Song-yong | 5 | |||
| 2016–17 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 30 | 4th | W | PR2 | IZF | Sunil Chhetri,C.K. Vineeth | 7 | |||
| 2017–18 | Indian Super League | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 16 | +19 | 40 | 1st | RU | Abolished | W | – | IZSF | Sunil Chhetri | 14 |
| 2018–19 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 22 | +7 | 34 | 1st | W | QF | – | Sunil Chhetri | 9 | |||
| 2019–20 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 30 | 3rd | SF | – | PS | Sunil Chhetri | 9 | |||
| 2020–21 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 28 | –2 | 22 | 7th | DNQ | GS | Sunil Chhetri | 8 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 29 | 6th | DNQ | – |  Cleiton Silva | 9 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 34 | 4th | RU | RU | Javi Hernández | 7 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 34 | –14 | 22 | 10th | DNQ | GS | Javi Hernández | 5 | ||||
| 2024–25 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 40 | 31 | +9 | 38 | 3rd | RU | R16 | Sunil Chhetri | 14 | ||||
| 2025–26 | GS | ||||||||||||||||
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third Place | |
| ♦ | Top scorer in league |
| PS | Play-off Stage |
| IZF | Interzonal finalist |
| IZSF | Interzonal Semi-finalist |
| PR | Preliminary Round |
| League | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Champions | Runner–up |
| I-league/ISL[note 1] | 3 | 2013/14,[78]2015/16,[79]2018/19 | 2014/15,2017/18 |
| ISL Playoffs (From 2022–23) | 0 | – | 2022/23,2024/25 |
| Cup | |||
| Competitions | Titles | Champions | Runner–up |
| Federation Cup | 2 | 2014/15,[80]2016/17[81] | – |
| Super Cup | 1 | 2018[82] | 2023[83] |
| Durand Cup | 1 | 2022[84] | – |
| Regional | |||
| Competitions | Titles | Champions | Runner–up |
| Puttaiah Memorial Cup | 1 | 2014[85] | – |
| Continental | |||
| Competitions | Titles | Champions | Runner–up |
| AFC Champions League Two | 0 | – | 2016[86] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Award | Season |
| AFC Cup Fair Play Award | 2016[87] |
AFC club ranking[edit]
| World club ranking[edit]
|
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | AFC Champions League | Preliminary round 1 |  Johor Darul Ta'zim | — | 1–2 | — | — |
| AFC Cup | Group E |  Maziya | 2–1 | 2–1 | — | 2rd | |
 Persipura Jayapura | 1–3 | 1–3 | — | ||||
 Warriors | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | ||||
| Round of 16 |  South China | — | 0–2 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | AFC Cup | Group H |  Lao Toyota FC | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | 2rd |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 0–1 | 0–3 | — | ||||
 Ayeyawady United | 5–3 | 1–0 | — | ||||
| Round of 16 | Kitchee | — | 3–2 | — | — | ||
| Quarter final | Tampines Rover | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | ||
| Semi final | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | — | ||
| Final |  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 0–1[note 2] | — | Runner-up | |||
| 2017 | AFC Champions League | Preliminary Round 2 |  Al-Wehdat SC | — | 1–2 | — | — |
| AFC Cup | Group E | Mohun Bagan SG | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | 1st | |
| Maziya | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | ||||
 Abahani Limited Dhaka | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | ||||
| Inter-zone semi-finals | April 25 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | — | ||
| Inter-zone final |  Istiklol | 2-2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | — | ||
| 2018 | AFC Cup | Qualifying Playoffs | T.C. Sports Club | 5-0 | 2-3 | 8-2 | — |
| Group E | Abahani Limited Dhaka | 1–0 | 4–0 | — | 1st | ||
| Aizawl | 5–0 | 3–1 | — | ||||
| New Radiant | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | ||||
| Inter-zone semi-finals |  Altyn Asyr | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–5 | — | ||
| 2020 | AFC Cup | Preliminary round 2 |  Paro | 9–1 | 1–0 | 10–1 | — |
| Play-off round | Maziya | 3–2(a.e.t.) | 1–2 | 4–4 (3–4p) | — | ||
The organizers of ISL introduced eISL, aFIFA video game tournament for the ISL playing clubs, each represented by two players. Bengaluru FC hosted a series of qualifying games for all the participants wanting to represent the club in eISL. On 20 November the club announced signing of the two players.
| Bengaluru FC eSportsFIFA roster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||
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Legend:
| Latest roster transaction: 9 September 2024. | ||||||
The following clubs are affiliated with Bengaluru FC:
2013 Bengaluru FC (Bengaluru) [on Jul 20]
| National Football League |
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| I-League |
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| Indian Super League |
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