Let’s take a look at the ISL 2021: Top 5 Memories that have captured people’s hearts this season –

• NorthEast United FC and ATK Mohun Bagan – First leg play-offs 

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The drama began when Idrissa Sylla lost a spot to teammate Deshorn Brown on the regular line-up, owing to his form. Since this was the first part of the play-off game, the energy was at an all-time high. Since Brown was missing, Sylla stepped up to save Brown’s side from what would otherwise have been a loss in this leg. To ensure a spot in and qualify for the second leg, Sylla’s striking play enabled him to pop up and power across by Luis Machado – well past Arindam Bhattacharya – making sure the team had a solid chance to win. 

• Mumbai City vs FC Goa – Pandita’s header

Image Source – News18

All eyes this season have been on FC Goa’s Ishan Pandita. Pandita has proven his worth as a sub, especially during the 3-3 draw match between Mumbai City and FC Goa. he battled on like a warrior on being admitted into the game towards the latter half, and didn’t give up even when FC Goa was vying hard to build themselves up from a 2-3. In the 95th minute, Pandita rose like a phoenix to head a shot made by Edu Bedia straight into the net, making Goans go wild with excitement. He indeed proved that he is one player who just has to be off the bench to make a difference for his team.  

• Mumbai City vs FC Goa – Penalty Shootout
  
  

  Image Source – Sportskeeda

Penalty shootouts are always nerve-wracking for any football match – and more so when it’s being played between two frantically rival teams, and that too as a semi-final decider. Recently, the ISL semi-finals were among the most exciting semi-finals Indian football has witnessed in a long time as FC Goa and Mumbai City went head to head in a penalty shootout to decide who would make it to the finals. The match ended in a 2-2, due to which a penalty shootout was held. With bated breath, the country erupted to cheer as Mumbai City made it into the finals, making its debut into an ISL final. 

• Chennaiyin FC vs FC Goa – Win-Loss-Win

Image Source – ISL

One of the best goals this season was by Rafael Crivellaro as he kicked a goal with great panache from a corner directly into the net, helping Chennaiyin score a 2-1 goal over FC Goa. Rafael’s corner kick in the 11th minute of the game made it the third time ever to be scored this way in the ISL. However, within 4 minutes of this fantastic corner kick, FC Goa bounced back with a skilled goal from Ortiz Mendoza, leveling the game back. Eventually, the game ended with Chennaiyin winning the match as Rahim Ali scored another one for the team. 

• Fan Wall Moments – Truly Bringing the Spirit of the Game Alive 

Image Source – Youtube

This year, the ISL was held a little differently. Due to the pandemic, fans were forced to experience the game via virtual means instead of feeling the adrenaline inside the stadium. But this didn’t stop their energy. The ISL website has dedicated an entire “Fan wall” of moments to capture the football matches’ spirit through their dedicated fans. These fan wall moments are one of the top highlights of the ISL – you can see fans of all ages, intently plastered across their screens cheering loud, rejoicing, feeling the pain, hooting for their team players. It’s so heartening to see these fans from across various parts of the country adding more zeal and enthusiasm to the game, even as they remain isolated. It truly brings out the impact the ISL has on the nation and bringing people together, even in a pandemic.

We know that Mumbai City has made it into the final – who will battle it out with them to win the league this year? Will it be ATK Mohun Bagan or NorthEast United? Will the final have more thrill than these top ISL 2021 memories? We’ll soon find out. Don’t forget to watch the final and immerse yourself in the spirit of India’s exhilarating love for football! 

The Sports School Football Academy with Bengaluru FC provides aspiring footballers with world-class training to reach the next level. At The Sports School campus, we offer a Professional Football Coaching Program with experienced coaches licensed by AFC and AIFF, where the monitoring and evaluation of the student’s performance will be done by Head of Youth Development and BFC Youth Academy coaches.

Competitive and friendly match opportunities on a regular basis will be arranged with quality opponents and talented students will get an opportunity to play at the BFC Youth Academy teams. The Bengaluru FC Grassroots / Youth Development program is the first step in the career of a young aspiring footballer. Students will also be provided Sports Science expertise (Strength & Conditioning, Nutrition, and Injury Prevention concepts).

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In 2013, the football club began its journey with a sign on to the Indian Super League. In its first-ever year, the club has crowned the winner of the league, and ever since, has won another league title. Bengaluru FC has also been twice crowned the winner of the Federation Cup and has also won the Super Cup.

Let’s look at the football club’s journey from the start and what makes it so popular.

Club Trivia

Ownership:

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Bengaluru FC, also nicknamed “The Blues”, is owned by the JSW Group, with Sajjan Jindal as its chairman.

Current Coach:

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The head coach for the club is Marco Pezzaiuoli, a well-known German football manager.

Stadium:

Image Source: Sportstar

The club’s main grounds are located at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, which can accommodate over 25,000 people.

Club colours:

Image Source: BFC

The club’s jersey colours are blue for home games, white for games played away and green for other events.

The Club’s Inception

It all started when the JSW Group bid to be a part of India’s football league or the I-League. At the same time, Karnataka State Football Association’s president suggested that Bangalore host the FIFA under 17 World Cup in partnership with a corporate entity that could help them build the infrastructure required to become a host venue.

Soon enough, JSW won the bid to create a team that could directly enter the I-League. At the same time, the group also announced that they would be setting up sporting infrastructure as well as an academy for younger football enthusiasts to train at. Later in 2013, the Bangalore Football Club was officially launched at the Bangalore Football Stadium. To supplement the club’s members, Ashley Westwood was picked as its head coach and Curtis Osano, John Johnson, and Sunil Chhetri (captain of the Indian national football team) were signed on as players. The club’s first match was at its home ground against Mohun Bagan, which ended in a draw.

Image Source: BFC

In the next few years, Bengaluru FC played away games, participated in the Federation Cup, and qualified to play in the AFC Champions League.

Club Identity and Sponsorships

Crest:

Image Source: BFC

On the launch of its livery, the club’s crest featured the backdrop of the beautiful Bangalore Palace as an ode to symbolise the Wodeyar victory. As a tribute to the fearless, resilient and brave people of Bengaluru, the middle of the crest has a two-headed Gandaberunda. The Gandaberunda is a mythical bird borrowed from the Karnataka state’s coat of arms. In 2015, the club’s official mascot was revealed to be an eagle, with the moniker, Eddie the Eagle.

Sponsors:

Image Source: BFC

Over the years, in addition to JSW, the club has been sponsored majorly by Kia, with Puma as the main sponsor for kits and apparel. Minor sponsors have included the likes of Kingfisher, SF Sonic, EPSON, Nissin, DafaNews, EatFit and My Fan Park.

Home Ground:

Image Source: ISL.com

The club began with the Bangalore Football Stadium as its official stadium but soon moved to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, which fans also refer to as the “Fortress”.

Supporters:

Image Source: Twitter

The Bengaluru FC has a huge fanbase in India, and its supporters are commonly referred to as the West Block Blues. The club’s players have always acknowledged what a tremendous role the supporters have had in their victories and refer to them as their “12th man”, in other words, an indispensable part of the team itself. The Bengaluru FC itself is a huge supporter of the Indian national football team, having proven this at India vs Guam game where they unfurled a banner showcasing their enthusiasm and support.

Rivals:

Image Source: India Fantasy

When speaking in pure sportsman spirit, the club’s rivals are seen as Mohun Bagan and the Kerala Blasters.

Bengaluru FC’s wins through the ages

Bengaluru FC has been bestowed with a number of honours and awards since its inception.

2013-14 – Winner, I-League
2014-15 – Runners up, I-League; Winner, Federation Cup
2015-16 – Winner, I-League
2016-17 – Runners up, AFC Cup; Winner, Federation Cup
2017-18 – Runners up, Indian Super League
2018-19 – Winner, Indian Super League; Winner, Indian Super Cup

In addition, the club has also actively participated in the AFC Champions League twice and played for the AFC Cup for five years consecutively from 2015 to 2020.

Image Source: Firstpost

The Sports School Football Academy with Bengaluru FC offers comprehensive programs for Professional Football Coaching with experienced coaches licensed by AFC and AIFF. Our football program helps players,  of each age group, develop and play competitive football. The monitoring and evaluation of the student’s performance are done by the Head of Youth Development and BFC Youth Academy coaches, in addition to which, students are also provided Sports Science expertise – Strength & Conditioning, Nutrition, and Injury Prevention concepts.

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