BENGALURU: The build-up to their third ISL campaign hasn’t been ideal for Bengaluru FC. The club almost lost their fortress — Sree Kanteerava Stadium — while a seven-month-long off-season with no pre-season tour abroad meant players had a hard time keeping fit.
But in the last two weeks, the club had some good news with the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) clearing them to continue using the stadium. Players too got a taste of competitive football from I-League clubs in their Ballari facility. And as they launch their title defence on Monday against NorthEast United FC here, they will look to bank on their home support once again.
That Bengaluru were unbeaten at home last season and conceded least goals there gives a better picture of their ability to ride on the home crowd which was over 14,000 on average. Head coach Carles Cuadrat too agreed on the impact of that.
“The supporters and the club have had a very strong relationship. It would have been very upsetting to lose the chemistry,” the Spaniard explained. “With all due respect to my players, the most important signature (from DYES) we got this season was the one that lets us play at Kanteerava. So, we are very happy that we will be playing here.”
While the club sorted out the stadium situation, the players, barring India nationals, faced difficulties dealing with the long off-season. They expected the Super Cup to happen before ISL. But with the Cup tournament pushed to post ISL, they had to rely on I-League opponents for quality football.
“It is a strange situation for a professional footballer when they can’t play for that much time. They will need a little bit of time to get back to their best,” said Cuadrat. “However, we had good conditions in Ballari and that helped the players regain fitness. Personally, I prefer to go to another country where we have opponents and conditions that help us be competitive. But the calendar didn’t permit it, because some teams were already in competition.”
That Bengaluru have been able to retain the core of the title-winning unit will give them the edge. The only notable absentee is Nicolas Fedor (Miku). Spaniard Manuel Onwu has replaced the Venezuelan up front with Ashique Kuruniyan strengthening the attack. Raphael Augusto and Eugeneson Lyngdoh have bolstered the midfield. Cuadrat, although, believes all his players can step up and become the next Miku.