02
JEFE
TALK
Hola, everyone!
The week has gone by in a flash and were
back at the Fortress for the game against
Delhi Dynamos. This time last week we
played our first game after embracing the
ISL and it was an atmosphere that all of us
will be remembering for a long time to
come from now.
We played the kind of football we wanted to,
got the reception we expected and left the
pitch with the points we needed. But as
special as that night was, we must move on to
the task that lies ahead of us this evening.
Delhi Dynamos are coming to Bengaluru on
the back of a 3-2 win in a game where they
gave FC Pune City a tough time once they got
off the blocks. And their squad possesses
enough strength to make things difficult for
us at home.
But like always, we will be working hard to
take advantage of our strengths and that also
includes you, the fans. To have the backing of
close to 18,000 fans against Mumbai City FC
was very special and I have a feeling I am
going to be saying this about every home
game this season.
Moving to our performance, I was happy with
the way we controlled things last Sunday and
there were so many positives to take away.
The foreigners who missed out on the AFC
Cup showed the kind of quality they bring to
the side and the Indian boys complimented
them really well. Unfortunately, Dimas
continues to recover from a fractured toe and
it will be a few weeks before he gets back to
playing competitive games.
I got to know later that our second goal was
Sunils 50th for the club and it was a nice
occasion to reach the landmark. He continues
to be a role model for so many youngsters
and fans and its a responsibility he takes very
seriously. I have also been told that the next
goal we score will the clubs 200th in all
competitions and its going to be nice to get
to that number in front of all you fans.
Were hoping to walk into a packed Fortress
this evening and keep building on the good
start weve had. This is going to be a cracker
of a game and Im confident that we can put
on a show for you!
Love,
Albert Roca
 PREVIEW
Two Teams,
One Philosophy
fter A Winning Start In The ISL, We
Take A Look At The Blues Game
Against Their Opponents From The
Nations Capital
In what promises to be an entertaining game,
the Blues host Delhi Dynamos at the Fortress
tonight hoping to spend week two of the ISL
on top of the Indian Super League table. Both
teams come into this game on the back of
convincing wins and the need to keep the
momentum going promises to make the clash
an open affair.
Albert Rocas boys go up against a tough Delhi
side who are led by fellow SpaniardMiguel
ngel Portugal and just like the Blues, prefer
a free-flowing possession-based game. In
fact, both the Blues (56% possession, 58%
passing accuracy) and DDFC (59% possession,
53% passing accuracy) controlled the game
based on the same philosophy.
While Delhi Dynamos finished the ISLs top
scorers in the League phase last season with
27 goals, they lost three of their key players
who contributed heavily to the tally.
Nonetheless, having already netted three
times in the season-opener at Pune, the Lions
will pose a serious attacking threat to the
Blues defence marshalled by John Johnson
and Juanan. Delhi Dynamos is a strong team
and their performance in Pune showed it.
Under Portugal they are organized and can
hurt any team on their day. We need to be
cautious, but at the same time play to our
strengths said Roca.
Despite dominating majority of the
proceedings against FC Pune City, DDFC
conceded twice in the second half and the
Blues attack line spearheaded by Miku and
Sunil Chhetri, along with wingers Edu Garcia
and Udanta Singh, will look to exploit the gaps
they can create. With not many changes
expected in the line-up, the boys have been
working hard during the week. We had a
good result against Mumbai on Sunday, but
we missed a few close chances as well. We
have been working on that and want to
continue improving because as we move
forward, all the teams will get stronger.
Meanwhile, defender Sena Ralte who wore
the Blue of BFC in the 2017 I-League will
return to the Fortress for the first time since
his move to Delhi. In another interesting
sub-plot, Lallianzuala Chhangte on Delhis left
and Udanta Singh on Bengalurus right is a
battle you should not miss!
04
OPPONENT
WATCH
FORMER BLUE
Sena Ralte
2017

HEAD COACH CAPTAIN

Miguel ngel Portugal Vicario Kalu Uche
Coaching Experience: 17 years Age: 35
10 Clubs Striker

OVERSEAS PLAYERS
2 Dutchmen 1 Uruguayan 1 Venezuelan

1 Spaniard 1 Brazilian 1 Nigerian

PERFORMANCE IN THE ISL

16 Wins
61 Goals Scored
16 Draws
44 Goals Conceded
11 Losses
 KEY MEN
DYNAMOS
The Mizo lad was undoubtedly the star in Delhi Dynamos
opening-day win. The 20-year-old was a constant threat
on the left flank and set up Paulinho Dias for the opener
moments into the second before surprising everyone
with his speed to capitalize on a defensive error and chip
home. Now in his second season as a professional,
Lallianzuala, who has represented NorthEast United and
DSK Shivajians, will come up against BFCs Udanta Singh
and Harmanjot Khabra down the flank.
L.CHHANGTE

The Delhi Dynamos skipper will be another threat for the

Blues. A Nigeria international and former La Liga star
with UD Almeria, the 36-year-old has plied his trade with
a number of clubs across Europe as well as a few teams
in Asia. A target man for Delhi, the former FC Pune City
striker can even slot in as a No.10 and play provider for
his teammates. Blues defender John Johnson and
Juanan will need to have a keen eye to deny Uche space
around the box. KALU UCHE

The Belo Horizonte-born midfielder brings that creative

spark into Delhis midfield. Having played for host of
Brazilian clubs, Paulinho is a keen runner and manages
to feed his teammates all over the park. He also likes
making late runs into the box, and helped himself to the
opener with one against FC Pune City. The 29-year-old
will come up against Erik Paartalu and Lenny Rodrigues
in the middle and his effectiveness will need to be
negated tonight.
PAULINHO DIAS
With One Swing Of His
Left Foot, Edu Garcia
Etched His Name Into BFC
Folklore Forever. We
Spoke To The Blues First
Ever Scorer In The Indian
Super League
It was December 1994 in Zaragoza and
young Edu Garcia was told that Santas
bag had in it anything that he wished
for. The children in his Aragonese
neighborhood had named their toys
and games - but not Edu. He wanted a
football, and a football is what he got.
Every memory I have of my childhood
has me with a ball at my feet.I started
out at a small club called Helios in
Zaragoza. Then in 1998, I moved to UD
Amistad, a team which was affiliated to
Real Zaragoza and thats how I joined
Los Maos. My family provided me
education but it was football that
taught me values.
Whilegoosebumps' a word that is yet
to make its way into his vocabulary,
Edu does his best to explain as he talks
us through his strike at the Fortress
last Sunday. "The moment I saw the
ball hit the net, I was filled with
emotion. In Spanish I had what is
called piel de gallina the skin of a
chicken. Then when I ran to celebrate I
saw that the people were happy, and it
was a special moment for me.
Hopefully it marks the beginning of
something amazing at this club."
His number 13 is one that raises
eyebrows across the world, but
Edu says there were more than a few
reasons he chose to wear it on his
Bengaluru FC shirt.
At Zaragoza I wore the number 11
shirt, but when I came here I found out
that the captain had that number. I had
a look at the other numbers that were
free and I was curious about number
13.
I am not a superstitious person. It's a
beautiful number and it is also my
wife's favourite. Back in Spain, only the
goalkeepers are offered number 13 so
when I had the chance I had to take it!
08
Fifteen years have passed since Edu
wore Zaragoza colors for the first time.
Among the many memories hes made
in between, one shares semblance to
his goal against Mumbai City FC.
"This has happened once before.In
2015, I scored Ebro's first ever goal in
Segunda B, and that was against
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid Castilla.
But last Sunday in Bengaluru was
special. I was happy because I wanted
to begin well and it was also important
for the team to get the three points.
Hes only one game old with the Blues,
but 27-year-old Edu has more than
just praise for the Blues faithful, who
he believes made all the difference
on Sunday.
The fans may not know it, but they are
the ones who win games. Against
Mumbai, we had so many chances. It
would have been easy to sulk, but we
couldnt. When so many people have
come from different places and spent
their money to shout for us, we have to
I scored Ebro's first ever
goal in Segunda B, and that
was against Zinedine
Zidane's Real Madrid
Castilla. But last Sunday in
Bengaluru was special.
do our job for them. It is special to have
fans like these and it is important that
they know how much they mean to us.
Going by his current form, Edu is set to
hit the target 18 times this season, but
when asked to put his finger on a tally
that he would be happy with, his
Aragon smile is wide and extended.
I love scoring goals and I do have a
number in mind that I wish to achieve
by the end of the season. But, for now I
want to enjoy every moment that I have
with this badge on my chest.
Whatever his wish is, we hope it comes
true - much like that football in the
December of 1994 that brought him
all the way to history.
10
ROUND ONE
TALKING POINTS
A total of 12 goals were
scored in two draws and
three wins in Round One
of the fourth edition of
the Indian Super League.
Sunil Chhetris strike against
his former team was the
captains 50th goal in a
Bengaluru FC shirt across
all competitions in
four seasons.
Jamshedpurs Andre Bikey
became the first player to be
sent off this season when he
received a straight red
during the game against
NorthEast United.
Edu Garcia became
Bengaluru FCs first goal
scorer in the Indian Super
League with his 67th minute
strike against Mumbai
City FC.
Last years finalists ATK and
Kerala Blasters played out a
0-0 draw at the Jawaharlal
Nehru International
Stadium, in Kochi, in the
opening match.
FC Goas Ferran Corrominas
scored the first goal of the
new season when he put it
past Chennaiyins Karanjit
Singh in their 3-2 win over
the team from the south.
12 BFC SQUAD
Head Coach: Assistant Coach:
Albert Roca Carles Cuadrat
GOALKEEPERS
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
23 Abhra Mondal
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
24 Joyner Lourenco
MIDFIELDERS
8 Lenny Rodrigues
10 Harmanjot Khabra
13 Eduardo Garcia
14 Dimas Delgado
17 Boithang Haokip
16 Erik Paartalu
19 Antonio Dovale
20 Alwyn George
30 Malsawmzuala
FORWARDS
7 Miku Fedor
9 Braulio Nobrega
11 Sunil Chhetri
18 Thongkhosiem Haokip
21 Udanta Singh
 DELHI SQUAD
Head Coach:
Miguel Angel Portugal

GOALKEEPERS
Albino Gomes 1
Arnab Das Sharma 29
Sukhdev Patel 31

DEFENDERS
Jayananda Moirangthem 2
Mohammad Dhot 3
Rowilson Rodrigues 4
Pratik Chowdhary 5
Gabriel Cichero 6
Pritam Kotal 20
Lalmangaihsanga Ralte 21
Munmun Lugun 33

MIDFIELDERS
Paulo DaCruz 8
Matias Mirabaje 10
Eduardo Cantillo 11
Simranjeet Singh 14
Vineet Rai 16
Seityasen Singh 17
Jeroen Lumu 95

FORWARDS
Lallianzuala Chhangte 7
Kalu Uche 9
Guyon Fernandez 18
Romeo Fernandes 19
David Ngaihte 23
14
ULLAS MARAR
Voice From The Stands
At times, when you have waited for
something too eagerly, the moment of truth
ends up being underwhelming. That clearly
wasnt true for our entry into the Indian
Super League. Sure, it will take us a little
time to get used to the regimented parking
and gate systems. But the general
sentiment was that its a small price to pay
for the joy of seeing our team compete at a
stage the world has its eyes set on.
We knew we were in for something big, what
with the brisk ticket sales, heightened
media coverage and interest from a whole
new set of fans. We had to forego some of
our pre-match rituals but once in the
stands, there was that warm, fuzzy feeling
of being home again. We were told that the
Fortress would be spruced up and it really
showed.
For once, I departed from tradition and sat
in the Kingfisher stand, just to soak in the
beauty of West Block from the other end and
also rally up some of the new fans. The DJ
must have got a few glares from the Blues
faithful who prefer chanting to loud music,
but all in all, there was a sense of
excitement as the teams walked out. How
are the players dealing with the pressure?
What about the new ones? We had seen
Erik, Juanan, Toni and Dimas in action
during the AFC Cup. But what about Miku,
who we had heard so much about? Or Edu,
who we thought was in the XI only because
Dimas was injured?
We got our answers in some style. Miku had
us oohing and aahing right from his first
touch. He is magic! With him up front, that
front three is sure to make many jaws drop
this season. And I dont think they have even
hit second gear. At the back, there was
nothing much to write about. It is our fifth
season now and we are running out of
adjectives for Johnson. With Juanan, that
CB pairing is predictably brilliant.
But the one Im tipping to be a huge fan
favourite soon, is Rahul Bheke. I havent
seen this lad put a foot wrong. As a naturally
right-footed player playing on the left, he
was so impressive, both defensively and
going forward. Many a title-winning squad
has been built on the bedrock of a solid
defence. Need I say more?
We came so close to scoring so many
times that a few fans began to wonder if it
was meant to be. But thats when Carles
Cuadrats obsessive attention to set pieces
paid off. It was a beautifully worked corner
and nobody deserved that goal more than
Edu. He was the unknown in the team but
he had given an excellent account of
himself throughout the game. And once
that ball went in, we knew werent
stopping at one. It might sound repetitive
but Chhetri and Kanteerava is a better love
story than any you have seen. So it had to
be that he scored his 50th for the club,
thus making a historic day even more
special. Gurpreet had little to do all game
and its only natural that he wanted a piece
of the action too. His ball to Chhetri that
created mayhem in the Mumbai defence
deserves more praise than it has received.
The party promptly started in the stands.
The Poznan looked glorious from the other
end and the chants grew louder than ever.

In the end, the scoreline didnt do ample

justice to how imposing we were but hey,
we are just getting warmed up. While the
banner on the night said, ARRIVED, the
banner that came to my mind was one
from the second season, EXPECT US.
TEAMS P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1 CHENNAIYIN FC 2 1 0 1 5 3 2 3

2 BENGALURU FC 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3

3 DELHI DYNAMOS FC 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 3

4 FC GOA 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 3

5 ATK 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

6 JAMSHEDPUR FC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

7 KERALA BLASTERS FC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

8 NORTHEAST UNITED FC 2 0 1 1 0 3 -3 1

9 FC PUNE CITY 1 0 0 1 2 3 -1 0

10 MUMBAI CITY FC 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0

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 ESP

JUANAN
 FIXTURES

NOVEMBER
19 BENGALURU FC vs MUMBAI CITY FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium 2-0

26 BENGALURU FC vs DELHI DYNAMOS FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

30 FC GOA vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

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

15 FC PUNE CITY vs BENGALURU FC Balewadi Sports Complex -

17 BENGALURU FC vs CHENNAIYIN FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

21 BENGALURU FC vs JAMSHEDPUR FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

31 KERALA BLASTERS FC vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

JANUARY
07 BENGALURU FC vs ATK Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

14 DELHI DYNAMOS FC vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

18 MUMBAI CITY FC vs BENGALURU FC Mumbai Football Arena -

26 BENGALURU FC vs NORTHEAST UNITED FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

31 CHENNAIYIN FC vs BENGALURU FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -

FEBRUARY
03 ATK vs BENGALURU FC Salt Lake Stadium -

08 BENGALURU FC vs FC GOA Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

14 BENGALURU FC vs FC PUNE CITY Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

25 JAMSHEDPUR FC vs BENGALURU FC JRD Tata Sports Complex -

MARCH
TBD BENGALURU FC vs CHURCHILL BROTHERS Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

01 BENGALURU FC vs KERALA BLASTERS FC Sree Kanteerava Stadium -

NOTE
Games highlighted in blue are at the Fortress.
Games highlighted in white are when you need to travel with us!
 WEST BFC
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