Bengaluru Football Club Bengaluru Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first c ...

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

Federation Cup Federation Cup or Fed Cup is the former name of the premier world team competition in women's tennis. Federation Cup may also refer to: * Capital Football Federation Cup, an Australian territory-based association football tournament *Federation Cup ...

Albert Roca Albert Roca Pujol (born 20 October 1962) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender, currently a manager. Playing career Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Roca spent most of his career with clubs in his native regi ...

Curtis Osano Curtis Osano (born 8 March 1987) is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a defender, most recently for Farnborough. Career Early years Born in Nakuru, Kenya, Osano moved to England aged nine when his father joined the British Army. However, he did ...

N.S. Manju Nanjangud Shivananju Manju (born 9 May 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who played as a defender for Bengaluru FC in the I-League. He was capped 25 times for India. He is currently working as a Football Commentator in Star Sports ...

Siam Hanghal Jamkhansiam Siam Hanghal (born 26 May 1993) is an Indian professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Madan Maharaj FC, Madan Maharaj. Career Early career and Bengaluru FC Born in Churachandpur district, Churacha ...

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

Kim Song-yong Kim Song-yong (; born February 26, 1987, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Zainichi Korean striker who has played for the North Korean national football team. Club career Kim made his professional debut for Kyoto Sanga FC on 4 April 2009, coming on as ...

Álvaro Rubio Álvaro Rubio Robles (born 18 April 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career with Valladolid, appearing in 310 games in all competitions. In La Liga he also represented ...

Marjan Jugović Marjan Jugović ( sr-Cyrl, Марјан Југовић, born 26 August 1983) is a Serbian footballer. Career Napredak Born in Kruševac,Sunil Chhetri meanwhile returned to the club on a permanent basis, along with goalkeeper

Amrinder Singh Amrinder Ranjit Singh ( pa, ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ; born 27 May 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Odisha and the India national team. Early life and ...

. Since the I-League did not start until January, Bengaluru began their season in September in the AFC Cup. The club managed to get past Tampines Rovers before defeating Johor Darul Ta'zim in the semi-finals. In the final against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya the club were defeated 1–0. In the league, Bengaluru began strongly, taking nine points from their opening three matches, conceding 0 goals while scoring 8. However, the club then went on to suffer a run of seven games without a victory as Bengaluru slipped to fifth place. The club would then go on to win five of their last eight matches but it would only be enough to finish in fourth. Consolation came for the club when they went on to win their second

Federation Cup Federation Cup or Fed Cup is the former name of the premier world team competition in women's tennis. Federation Cup may also refer to: * Capital Football Federation Cup, an Australian territory-based association football tournament *Federation Cup ...

. A brace from C.K. Vineeth in extra-time was enough to beat Mohun Bagan in the 2017 final. 34 different players represented the club in four competitions and there were 19 different goalscorers. Bengaluru's top goalscorer for the fourth year running was Sunil Chhetri, who scored 12 goals in 30 appearances. The India international would go on to be named as the Hero of the League. This season would be Bengaluru's last in the I-League as the club would bid successfully for a spot in the Indian Super League.

Background

After narrowly missing out on the title during the 2014–15 season, Bengaluru claimed their second I-League title in three years on 17 April 2016. As a result, the club qualified to participate in the AFC Champions League qualifiers. However, in the

Federation Cup Federation Cup or Fed Cup is the former name of the premier world team competition in women's tennis. Federation Cup may also refer to: * Capital Football Federation Cup, an Australian territory-based association football tournament *Federation Cup ...

, Bengaluru were unable to reclaim their title. The club were knocked-out by Aizawl in the quarter-finals. In Asian competition, Bengaluru successfully managed to qualify for the knock-out round of the

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

for the second season running with the club finishing second in Group H. The club then managed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time after they defeated Kitchee in the Round of 16. A few days after Bengaluru defeated Kitchee, it was announced that head coach Ashley Westwood would leave the club. A month later, on 6 July 2016, it was announced that former

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

head coach

Albert Roca Albert Roca Pujol (born 20 October 1962) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender, currently a manager. Playing career Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Roca spent most of his career with clubs in his native regi ...

would take over as Bengaluru's second coach. On his arrival, Roca said:

Squad movement

Following the 2015–16 season, Bengaluru made a few changes to the squad. On 31 May 2016,

Curtis Osano Curtis Osano (born 8 March 1987) is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a defender, most recently for Farnborough. Career Early years Born in Nakuru, Kenya, Osano moved to England aged nine when his father joined the British Army. However, he did ...

,

N.S. Manju Nanjangud Shivananju Manju (born 9 May 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who played as a defender for Bengaluru FC in the I-League. He was capped 25 times for India. He is currently working as a Football Commentator in Star Sports ...

, Thoi Singh,

Siam Hanghal Jamkhansiam Siam Hanghal (born 26 May 1993) is an Indian professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Madan Maharaj FC, Madan Maharaj. Career Early career and Bengaluru FC Born in Churachandpur district, Churacha ...

,

Kim Song-yong Kim Song-yong (; born February 26, 1987, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Zainichi Korean striker who has played for the North Korean national football team. Club career Kim made his professional debut for Kyoto Sanga FC on 4 April 2009, coming on as ...

,

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

, and

Nikhil Bernard Nikhil Bernard (born 30 December 1989) is an Indian professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League. Career Royal Wahingdoh Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, Bernard started his career with Roya ...

were released by the club. Nine days later, Bengaluru confirmed that their captain, Sunil Chhetri, would be returning to the club on a permanent basis, after spending the previous season with Mumbai City. A week later, the club announced the signing of goalkeeper

Amrinder Singh Amrinder Ranjit Singh ( pa, ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ; born 27 May 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Odisha and the India national team. Early life and ...

from Pune. Singh was previously also on loan with Bengaluru and would now join the club permanently. In August, Bengaluru announced the additions of three foreigners: midfielders Cameron Watson and

Álvaro Rubio Álvaro Rubio Robles (born 18 April 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career with Valladolid, appearing in 310 games in all competitions. In La Liga he also represented ...

, and defender Juanan. The club then concluded the month with the signings of young defender

Gursimrat Singh Gill Gursimrat Singh Gill (born 2 November 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Mumbai City in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Gill was born in Sarabha, a village located in the Ludhiana district of ...

and midfielder

Darren Caldeira Darren Caldeira (born 19 September 1987) is an Indian former professional association footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is currently serving as director of football for Bengaluru FC. Caldeira has also worked as a commentator in ...

. With a few of the

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

matches occurring at the same time as the beginning of the Indian Super League, Bengaluru managed to secure loans for their players to various ISL clubs while retaining them until after the AFC Cup final in November. Once the club's AFC Cup campaign had ended, Bengaluru began preparations for the I-League campaign that would begin in January. On 30 November, the club announced that Rubio, alongside

Vishal Kumar R. Vishal Kumar (born 30 July 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right back for Minerva Punjab in the I-League. Club career Early career Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, it was in 2005 that football captured Vishal's imag ...

and Darren Caldeira, would depart. Bengaluru then spent December bringing in players on loan from Indian Super League clubs. Defender

Harmanjot Khabra Harmanjot Singh Khabra (born 18 December 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team. A versatile player, Khabra has played in multiple positions, ...

was the first to be brought in from

Chennaiyin Chennaiyin Football Club is an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Football in India, Indian football. The club was founded in Au ...

on 12 December while midfielder

Lenny Rodrigues Lenny Rodrigues (born 10 May 1987) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Goa in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Born in Cortalim, Goa, began to develop a passion for football when his grandfat ...

soon followed from

Pune City Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

three days later. Goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya, defender Sena Ralte, and midfielder

Mandar Rao Dessai Mandar Rao Dessai (born 18 March 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a left-back and winger for Indian Super League side Mumbai City and the India national team. Mandar holds the record for most appearances in the history ...

were then all signed on 20 December from Pune City, Mumbai City, and Goa respectively. The club then ended preparations for the upcoming season with the addition of Honduran forward

Roby Norales Roby Alberto Norales Núñez (born 25 January 1991), is a Honduran footballer who plays for Honduran club Mukura Victory Sports F.C. as a forward. Club career Roby made his National League debut for F.C. Motagua on 28 August 2011 under head co ...

from Platense. Almost a week after the club played their first I-League match, Bengaluru announced the signing of defender

Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made his ...

on loan from Kerala Blasters. Then, a few weeks later, on 2 February, after playing in just four matches, Norales was loaned out to I-League 2nd Division club Ozone. Twenty days later, the club would sign Serbian forward

Marjan Jugović Marjan Jugović ( sr-Cyrl, Марјан Југовић, born 26 August 1983) is a Serbian footballer. Career Napredak Born in Kruševac, Finally, after the conclusion of the I-League season and prior to the

Federation Cup Federation Cup or Fed Cup is the former name of the premier world team competition in women's tennis. Federation Cup may also refer to: * Capital Football Federation Cup, an Australian territory-based association football tournament *Federation Cup ...

, Bengaluru announced the signing of forward Cornell Glen on loan from Ozone. In Out Loans in Loans out

Pre-season and friendlies

Despite the I-League not beginning until January 2017, Bengaluru FC played a series of friendlies in August in preparation of their

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

matches. Their first match was on 13 August 2016 against

Army Green Olive is a dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. As a color word in the English language, it appears in late Middle English. Shaded toward gray, it becomes olive drab. Variations Olivine Olivine is the typical ...

. The club won 3–0 through a brace from Nishu Kumar and a goal from Sunil Chhetri. A week later, on 20 August, the club played another closed doors practice game against MEG and won 4–0.

Daniel Lalhlimpuia Daniel Lalhlimpuia (born 12 September 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for RoundGlass Punjab in the I-League. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Lalhlimpuia made his professional debut for Bengaluru in 2016. ...

scored a brace for Bengaluru FC while Chhetri and trialist

Gursimrat Singh Gill Gursimrat Singh Gill (born 2 November 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Mumbai City in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Gill was born in Sarabha, a village located in the Ludhiana district of ...

scored the other two goals. Bengaluru FC suffered their first defeat of pre-season in their next match against

DSK Shivajians DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league ...

. Juanan scored the consolation goal for Bengaluru FC as the match ended 1–2. The club played their final match of pre-season on 28 August 2016 against

Ozone FC Ozone Football Club Bengaluru, or simply known as Ozone FC, was an Indian professional football club based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Founded in 2015, the club competed in Bangalore Super Division, the top division of football in the state. Ozo ...

. The result was a 1–0 defeat.

Competitions

I-League

Summary

=January

=

Bengaluru FC kicked off their title defense on 7 January 2017 at home against

Shillong Lajong Shillong Lajong FC (founded as Lajong SC) is an Indian professional football club based in Shillong, Meghalaya, that competes in the Shillong Premier League. The club was established in 1983 with the prime objective of improving the declining st ...

. Roca handed starts to new signings,

Lenny Rodrigues Lenny Rodrigues (born 10 May 1987) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Goa in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Born in Cortalim, Goa, began to develop a passion for football when his grandfat ...

,

Harmanjot Khabra Harmanjot Singh Khabra (born 18 December 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team. A versatile player, Khabra has played in multiple positions, ...

and Sena Ralte. Before the game, fans unfurled one of the largest tifos in Asia, measuring at 6,500 square feet. After starting tentatively, Bengaluru took a lead in 27th minute with a goal from

Udanta Singh Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Club career Early career Born in Manipur, Singh started his youth career ...

. In the second half, Udanta scored again before Sena Ralte scored his first goal for the club. Thus Bengaluru FC wrapped up a 3–0 win. Bengaluru FC played the next game against I-League debutant Chennai City. Bengaluru FC continued their attacking game, but they were thwarted by the Chennai City defense and close saves from man of the match, Karanjit Singh. However, the game turned when Roca substituted debutant

Roby Norales Roby Alberto Norales Núñez (born 25 January 1991), is a Honduran footballer who plays for Honduran club Mukura Victory Sports F.C. as a forward. Club career Roby made his National League debut for F.C. Motagua on 28 August 2011 under head co ...

and C.K. Vineeth in quick succession. The substitutes scored two goals in a span of three minutes and the club came out with a 2–0 win. In the final home game of the month on 18 January 2017, Bengaluru played Mumbai. C.K. Vineeth scored the first ever hat-trick for the club in any competition and Bengaluru FC won 3–0. Playing the next game against Kolkata rivals East Bengal, Bengaluru FC took a lead in 23rd minute with C.K. Vineeth's goal, but East Bengal quickly equalized through

Ivan Bukenya Ivan Bukenya (born 1 November 1991) is a Ugandan professional footballer. Bukenya has formerly played for FC Linkoping City, Erbil FC in Iraq, Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa and East Bengal FC in India. Club career Bukenya began his football ...

five minutes later. In the second half, East Bengal exploited Bengaluru's vulnerable defense and finally, the substitute and former Bengaluru FC player Robin Singh scored the winner in 79th minute, thus handing Bengaluru FC their first defeat of the season. Bengaluru FC lost the subsequent away game against former champions

Churchill Brothers Churchill Brothers FC Goa, or simply known as Churchill Brothers, is an Indian professional football club based in Margao, Goa, that competes in the I-League, alongside Goa Professional League. Founded in 1988 in Margao, the club usually part ...

. Sunil Chhetri opened the lead for the team, but the defense could not contain attacks from the Goan team and conceded a goal each in both the halves, losing the game 1–2. Bengaluru FC defender John Johnson was sent-off in the closing minutes.

=February

= Benglauru FC began February with a game against

DSK Shivajians F.C. DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league sy ...

on 5 February 2017. Bengaluru looked to be heading for another defeat when DSK Shivajians were leading 2–0 in the second half with a brace from

Holicharan Narzary Halicharan Narzary ( Bodo हलिचरन नार्जारी born 10 May 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Bengaluru. Club career Youth career Narzary first started playing ...

, but a goal from Sunil Chhetri and a last gasp header from the defender

Salam Ranjan Singh Salam Ranjan Singh (born 4 December 1995) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for I-League club TRAU. Career Born in Kha-Potshangbam, Manipur, Singh started playing football as a striker, before being converted into ...

ensured a point for the visitors. Bengaluru's winless run continued against the debutant

Minerva Punjab F.C. Minerva Academy FC (often referred to as Minerva Punjab) is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Mohali, Punjab, best known for its football and cricket academies, and futsal team. Club's football section predominantly competed ...

when in spite of taking the lead in the second half with Sunil Chhetri's goal,

Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made his ...

's own goal meant 1–1 draw for Bengaluru. The game extended Bengaluru FC's winless run to five games across all competitions, their worst run since team's inception in 2013. Facing

Aizawl F.C. Aizawl FC is an Indian professional football club based in Aizawl, Mizoram, that competes in the I-League. Incorporated in 1984, the club earned the entry in India's top-tier league in 2015–16, after winning 2015 I-League 2nd Division. Nickn ...

next, Bengaluru FC had to endure another draw when they had to settle for 1–1. After conceding the lead, Sunil Chhetri equalized but missed the penalty in the second half and subsequently could not find a winner. With his goal, Chhetri also became the highest Indian goal scorer in National Football League and I-League combined, surpassing Bhaichung Bhutia, who scored 89 goals. Bengaluru further failed to win against

Mumbai F.C. Mumbai Football Club was an India, Indian professional association football, football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competed in the I-League, then top flight of Indian football league system, alongside the Mumbai Football League, MDF ...

in the away game, when they failed to break the deadlock against defensive home team. Playing the next game against table toppers

East Bengal F.C. East Bengal Club, commonly referred to as East Bengal (), is an Indian professional multi-sport club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is best known for its professional men's football team that competes in the Indian Super League, the top fl ...

, Bengaluru lost the home game 1–3 with their former player Robin Singh scoring a brace and C.K. Vineeth scoring Bengaluru FC's only goal.

=March

= Bengaluru FC ended their nine games winless streak on 5 March 2017 when they defeated

Minerva Punjab F.C. Minerva Academy FC (often referred to as Minerva Punjab) is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Mohali, Punjab, best known for its football and cricket academies, and futsal team. Club's football section predominantly competed ...

by a solitary goal from

Lenny Rodrigues Lenny Rodrigues (born 10 May 1987) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Goa in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Born in Cortalim, Goa, began to develop a passion for football when his grandfat ...

in 17th minute. The blues further dropped the points playing against

Chennai City F.C. Chennai City Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, that last competed in the I-League, then one of the top flights of Indian football league system, and Chennai Football League. Established in ...

when John Johnson's own goal in the second half was compensated by

Daniel Lalhlimpuia Daniel Lalhlimpuia (born 12 September 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for RoundGlass Punjab in the I-League. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Lalhlimpuia made his professional debut for Bengaluru in 2016. ...

, but Bengaluru failed to find the winner and had to settle for a point, in spite of being the dominant team. Before heading for the international break, Bengaluru faced

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

Mohun Bagan were reduced to 10-men after

Subhasish Bose Subhasish Prodyut Bose ( bn, শুভাশীষ বসু; born 18 August 1995), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club ATK Mohun Bagan and the India national team. Career Bose made his ...

was sent off in the second half, but Bengaluru could not find the winner and had to be content with another draw.

=April

=

Bengaluru FC vs Aizawl before the kick-off

Having faced

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

in March, Bengaluru FC faced Kolkata rivals again in the reverse fixture on 1 April 2017. Bengaluru rested Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh for the upcoming AFC fixture. With a brace from Katsumi Yusa, Mohun Bagan routed the defending champions 3–0 and officially put the title out of Bengaluru's hands. With the season approaching the end, Bengaluru FC faced the title contenders

Aizawl F.C. Aizawl FC is an Indian professional football club based in Aizawl, Mizoram, that competes in the I-League. Incorporated in 1984, the club earned the entry in India's top-tier league in 2015–16, after winning 2015 I-League 2nd Division. Nickn ...

on 9 April 2017. Aizawl led other title contender, East Bengal by 3 points at the time and a win would strengthen their position at the top of the table. However, after the hard-fought game, Bengaluru FC earned a free-kick right outside the box in the injury time. Sunil Chhetri's kick was converted by

Marjan Jugović Marjan Jugović ( sr-Cyrl, Марјан Југовић, born 26 August 1983) is a Serbian footballer. Career Napredak Born in Kruševac,Shillong on 15 April 2017. After insipid start, Bengaluru FC controlled the game and took the lead in 26th minute when Sunil Chhetri scored a goal. Bengaluru strengthened their lead in the second half with

Harmanjot Khabra Harmanjot Singh Khabra (born 18 December 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team. A versatile player, Khabra has played in multiple positions, ...

scored his first goal for the club. With the win, Bengaluru regained the fourth position in the table. In the penultimate game of the season, the blues faced

DSK Shivajians F.C. DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league sy ...

at home. In a clinical display, Bengaluru scored 7 goals and maintained a clean sheet. Man of the match, Sunil Chhetri scored a brace and assisted in three goals, where as

Alwyn George Alwyn George is an Indian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for NorthEast United in the Indian Super League. Career Pailan Arrows Alwyn started his football career with the Tata Football Academy in 2008 and won the Junior Nat ...

, Eugeneson Lyngdoh,

Seminlen Doungel Seiminlen Doungel (born 3 January 1994), also known as Len Doungel, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Jamshedpur. Career East Bengal Born in Saikul, Manipur, Doungel started his career in ...

, C.K. Vineeth, and

Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made his ...

pitched in with a goal each. This was also the biggest margin of win for Bengaluru FC since their inception in 2013. The blues finished season on a high note, scoring a dominant 3–0 win against former champions,

Churchill Brothers S.C. Churchill Brothers FC Goa, or simply known as Churchill Brothers, is an Indian professional football club based in Margao, Goa, that competes in the I-League, alongside Goa Professional League. Founded in 1988 in Margao, the club usually part ...

Roca rested key players ahead of AFC cup game and fielded the reserve team.

Daniel Lalhlimpuia Daniel Lalhlimpuia (born 12 September 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for RoundGlass Punjab in the I-League. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Lalhlimpuia made his professional debut for Bengaluru in 2016. ...

,

Udanta Singh Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Club career Early career Born in Manipur, Singh started his youth career ...

and

Mandar Rao Desai Mandar Rao Dessai (born 18 March 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a left-back and winger for Indian Super League side Mumbai City and the India national team. Mandar holds the record for most appearances in the history o ...

scored a goal each to secure 4th position for Bengaluru FC, the lowest for the club since its inception.

Matches

Table

Results by round

2016 AFC Cup

In previous season, Bengaluru FC advanced to the quarter finals of

2016 AFC Cup The 2016 AFC Cup was the 13th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya defeated Bengaluru FC in the final to win their first AFC Cup title, becoming ...

.

Quarter-finals

On 9 June 2016, Bengaluru FC were drawn against

2015 S.League The 2015 S.League was the 20th season since the establishment of the S.League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs. The league was also known as the Great Eastern Yeo's S.League due to sponsorship reason ...

runner-up, Tampines Rovers FC for two-legged quarter final. Owing to the ongoing disturbances in the city for Kaveri river water dispute, the first game was played behind the closed doors. Bengaluru FC won the first leg 1–0 with the goal from C.K. Vineeth in the 7th minute. In the return leg, neither team scored a goal and Bengaluru FC advanced to the semi finals for the first time. Bengaluru became the third team from India after Dempo (2008) and East Bengal (2013) to reach the semi finals in

AFC Cup The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...

.

Semi-finals

Bengaluru FC faced defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in semi finals. In the away leg, Johor took a lead with Pereyra Diaz's header in 52nd minute, Bengaluru equalized 4 minutes later with Eugeneson Lyngdoh's goal and the game ended 1–1 with a crucial away goal for Bengaluru FC. The second leg was a big fanfare for the home team, as Bengaluru FC could be the first Indian team to advance beyond semi finals in the AFC cup. Even the traditional rival teams like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, as well as other I-League clubs such as

Shillong Lajong Shillong Lajong FC (founded as Lajong SC) is an Indian professional football club based in Shillong, Meghalaya, that competes in the Shillong Premier League. The club was established in 1983 with the prime objective of improving the declining st ...

, Sporting Clube de Goa and Indian Super League clubs extended their support to Bengaluru FC. In the game, Johor Darul Ta'zim took the early lead in 12th minute against the run of play. Before the half time, Bengaluru restored the parity with Sunil Chhetri's header. The home team continued the dominance in the second half with Chhetri scoring a brace and Juanan scoring a header and his first goal for the team. Bengaluru advanced to the final for the first time with 4–2 aggregate.

Final

Bengaluru FC faced Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya on 5 November 2016 in Doha. Bengaluru FC became the first team from India to advance to the AFC Cup Final. After holding off the attacks in the first half, Bengaluru FC committed a defensive mistake that led to the solitary goal of the game by Hammadi Ahmad and Bengaluru lost the game 1–0. In spite of the loss, Bengaluru FC's journey to the final was hailed as one of the top moments in Indian sports and Indian football. Reacting to the loss, Albert Roca said:

AFC Champions League

The

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

is the premier continental football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). As the champions of the I-League the previous season, Bengaluru FC earned a chance to qualify for the tournament. India did not have a direct-entry spot in the AFC Champions League and thus the champion team from India had to qualify for the tournament through the preliminary rounds. Bengaluru FC were put up against

Al-Wehdat Al-Wehdat Sport Club ( ar, نادي الوحدات الرياضي}) is a Jordanian sport club founded in 1956. The club is based in and represents the Amman New Camp, a Palestinian refugee camp which is also known as Al-Wehdat. Al-Wehdat's home ...

of Jordan. Unlike previous seasons, India were put back into the Western Zone of Asia by the AFC. During the match on 21 January 2017, Al-Wehdat started the game aggressively. Despite Al-Wehdat holding most of the momentum, the club were held goalless at halftime by Bengaluru FC. The Jordanian side however scored two goals quickly during the second half, including one from the penalty spot. Sunil Chhetri pulled one back for Bengaluru FC from a Cameron Watson corner but that proved to be just a consolation as Bengaluru FC were defeated 2–1. The defeat meant that Bengaluru FC would not compete in that season's AFC Champions League and would thus have to compete in the

2017 AFC Cup The 2017 AFC Cup was the 14th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Defending champions Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya defeated Istiklol in the final to win their second AFC Cu ...

, Asia's secondary competition.

2017 AFC Cup

Bengaluru FC competed in Group E alongside

2016 Dhivehi Premier League The 2016 Dhivehi Premier League was the second season of the Dhivehi Premier League, the top division of Maldivian football. The season began on 19 April 2015. The league was made up of the 8 clubs. Format All eight teams play against each oth ...

champions

Maziya S&RC Maziya Sports and Recreation Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Malé. They compete in the Dhivehi Premier League, the country's top division. The club was formed in 1996 and was promoted to the first division for the first ...

,

2016 Bangladesh Federation Cup The 2016 Federation Cup also known as ''Walton Federation Cup 2016'' due to the sponsorship from Walton was the 28th edition of the tournament. A total of 12 teams competed in this tournament. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club was the winner of previous ...

winners

Dhaka Abahani Abahani Limited Dhaka ( bn, ঢাকা আবাহনী লিমিটেড), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club cur ...

, and

2015–16 Indian Federation Cup The 2015–16 Indian Federation Cup, also known as 2015–16 Hero Federation Cup due to sponsorship reasons was the 37th edition of the Federation Cup, the main national football cup competition in India. The tournament was held from 30 Apri ...

and South Asia play-off winner,

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

Group stage

Runner-up in the previous edition, Bengaluru FC started their AFC Cup against fellow I-League team,

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

at home on 14 March 2017. Bengaluru FC were trailing in the first half when

Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made his ...

fouled

Sony Norde , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

inside the box and conceded a penalty, converted by Katsumi Yusa. However, Bengaluru came back strongly in the second half and scored two quick goals, by Sandesh Jhingan and Sunil Chhetri, enough to earn them three points. Facing

Maziya S&RC Maziya Sports and Recreation Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Malé. They compete in the Dhivehi Premier League, the country's top division. The club was formed in 1996 and was promoted to the first division for the first ...

next, Bengaluru FC had to wait till 93rd minute for John Johnson winner from Marjan Jugovic assist to win the game. Bengaluru continued their unbeaten run in the cup when they faced

Dhaka Abahani Abahani Limited Dhaka ( bn, ঢাকা আবাহনী লিমিটেড), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club cur ...

at home. A goal in each half from Nishu Kumar and

Marjan Jugović Marjan Jugović ( sr-Cyrl, Марјан Југовић, born 26 August 1983) is a Serbian footballer. Career Napredak Born in Kruševac,Dhaka Abahani Abahani Limited Dhaka ( bn, ঢাকা আবাহনী লিমিটেড), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club cur ...

in the reverse fixture, when they failed to overcome 10-men hosts and conceded two goals in the closing minutes. Bengaluru FC then faced

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

away from home. Due to upcoming Federation Cup Final, both teams fielded their reserve teams, with Albert Roca opting for all-Indian eleven. The game ended 3–1 against the blues. Trailing the group leader

Maziya S&RC Maziya Sports and Recreation Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Malé. They compete in the Dhivehi Premier League, the country's top division. The club was formed in 1996 and was promoted to the first division for the first ...

by 3 points, a win would put Bengaluru FC equal on points, but ahead on head-to-head record, after the final game. Bengaluru enjoyed the lion share of possession in the first half, but could not find a goal. Ten minutes in the second half, Bengaluru were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty box and Sunil Chhetri successfully converted it to make it 1–0 for the home team. Bengaluru held on to the lead till the end and handed the fourth defeat to Maldivian opponent in as many games. Bengaluru then played in the knock-out stage in 2017–18 season.

Federation Cup

Group stage

Bengaluru FC were drawn with Mohun Bagan,

Shillong Lajong Shillong Lajong FC (founded as Lajong SC) is an Indian professional football club based in Shillong, Meghalaya, that competes in the Shillong Premier League. The club was established in 1983 with the prime objective of improving the declining st ...

, and

DSK Shivajians DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league ...

in Group B. Bengaluru started the campaign with a 3–2 win against

Shillong Lajong Shillong Lajong FC (founded as Lajong SC) is an Indian professional football club based in Shillong, Meghalaya, that competes in the Shillong Premier League. The club was established in 1983 with the prime objective of improving the declining st ...

. Bengaluru led 1–0 at the half time with a goal from

Udanta Singh Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Club career Early career Born in Manipur, Singh started his youth career ...

. Bengaluru FC conceded two penalties, but managed to save one and total four goals were scored in the second half, but Bengaluru managed to scrape a win. In the next game against

DSK Shivajians DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league ...

, Bengaluru started the game as the dominant team, but were unable to convert chances in the first half, DSK Shivajians however converted a penalty and a freekick in the second half to register their first win against Bengaluru FC and won the game 2–0. Bengaluru faced Mohun Bagan in the final game of the group stage. After DSK Shivajians lost to Shillong Lajong earlier in the day, Bengaluru needed a draw to advance to semi-finals. Bengaluru took the lead with

Alwyn George Alwyn George is an Indian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for NorthEast United in the Indian Super League. Career Pailan Arrows Alwyn started his football career with the Tata Football Academy in 2008 and won the Junior Nat ...

's goal in the 11th minute, but

Sony Norde , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

equalized in the second half from 20 yards, when the defence failed to contain him. Both the teams earned a point and made it to the semi-finals. ;Group B

Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, Bengaluru faced Group A winner and

2016–17 I-League The 2016–17 I-League was the 10th season of the I-League, the top Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2007. The season began on 7 January 2017 and concluded on 30 April 2017. Aizawl won their ...

champions Aizawl. Bengaluru took the lead in 8th minute when

Alwyn George Alwyn George is an Indian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for NorthEast United in the Indian Super League. Career Pailan Arrows Alwyn started his football career with the Tata Football Academy in 2008 and won the Junior Nat ...

was fouled inside the box and Bengaluru were awarded the penalty and Cameron Watson successfully converted the penalty. Bengaluru had more scoring opportunities but could not extend their lead. Aizawl were given the penalty seconds before the final whistle, but

Amrinder Singh Amrinder Ranjit Singh ( pa, ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ; born 27 May 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Odisha and the India national team. Early life and ...

saved

Lalramchullova Lalramchullova (born 14 January 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Mohammedan in the I-League. Career Born in Mizoram, Lalramchullova started his career with Aizawl. He made his professional debut for Aizaw ...

's shot and sent the team to the final.

Final

Bengaluru FC crowned 2016–17 Indian Federation Cup champions

Bengaluru FC played the defending champions

Mohun Bagan A.C. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...

in the final on 21 May 2017. After the injury of the captain Sunil Chhetri in the group stage, due to harsh weather conditions and cramped schedule, Bengaluru FC requested to postpone the match to 24 May, but the request was denied. Before the match, Roca remarked, "I would say Bagan are the favourites with some big names on their roster and the availability of all four foreigners for this fixture. We have no problem being the underdogs." In the match, Bengaluru created flurry of chances, but two of their goals were declared offside and neither team scored a goal in the regulation team. However, C.K. Vineeth, coming off the bench, scored two goals in the extra time and led the team to second triumph in Federation Cup. As the winner, Bengaluru FC also qualified for

2018 AFC Cup The 2018 AFC Cup was the 15th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won the title for the third consecutive year, defeating Altyn Asyr in the fin ...

, their fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament.

Accolades

Sunil Chhetri won Hero of the league award for

2016–17 I-League The 2016–17 I-League was the 10th season of the I-League, the top Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2007. The season began on 7 January 2017 and concluded on 30 April 2017. Aizawl won their ...

, voted by coaches and captains of the participating teams. Bengaluru FC also won the best organizers award along with

DSK Shivajians DSK Shivajians Football Club (founded as Shivajians Sports Club) was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra. The club was owned by the DSK Group, and competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league ...

.

Udanta Singh Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Club career Early career Born in Manipur, Singh started his youth career ...

won players' player of the season as well as fans' player of the season at the annual Bengaluru FC awards, where as Nishu Kumar was adjudged most improved player of the season. C.K. Vineeth was adjudged FPAI Player of the year and Udanta Singh was awarded Young player of the year.

Player information

Management

:''As of June 2016.''

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

, - ! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Goalkeepers , - ! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Defenders , - , - ! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Midfielders , - , - ! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Forwards , - , - ! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Players transferred out during the season , - Updated: 31 May 2017

Background

Squad movement

Pre-season and friendlies

Competitions

I-League

Summary

=January

=February

=March

=April

Matches

Table

Results by round

2016 AFC Cup

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

AFC Champions League

2017 AFC Cup

Group stage

Federation Cup

Group stage

Semi-finals

Final

Accolades

Player information

Management

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Top scorers

Clean sheets

Disciplinary record

Notes

References

See also