The 2017–18 season was
Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru Football Club () (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.ಎಫ್.ಸಿ) is an Indian professional football club based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club w ...
's fifth season as club since its establishment in 2013. This was club's first season in
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
.
Background
In 2016–17 season Bengaluru FC got mixed results. Club failed to defend their league title, finished fourth in the
I-League
The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
. The club did well in the
Federation Cup, won their second cup title in four years by defeating
Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan Super Giant, commonly referred to as Mohun Bagan, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest football clubs in Asia. The club competes in the Indian Super League, ...
2–0 in final. Bengaluru FC finished the season well by advancing to
AFC cup
The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...
knock–out stage by beating
Maziya S&RC
Maziya Sports and Recreation Club is a Republic of the Maldives, Maldivian professional football (soccer), 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 ...
in a must win game and keeping hope alive to better their previous seasons record in AFC Cup where Bengaluru FC finished runners–up.
On 11 May 2017, it was announced by the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
organizers,
Football Sports Development, that they would be inviting bids for new teams to join the league for the upcoming season.
Bengaluru FC had submitted a bid from
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
.
On 12 June, it was officially announced that
Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru Football Club () (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.ಎಫ್.ಸಿ) is an Indian professional football club based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club w ...
(for
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
) and
Tata Group
The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 c ...
(for
Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
) had won the bids for the new teams.
Transfers
Due to the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
regulation each club is allowed to retain a maximum of two Indian players over the age of twenty-one (21). On 30 June, Bengaluru FC announced they are retaining the captain
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
and
Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Goa.
Club career Early career
Born in Moirang, Manipur, Singh started his youth career at the Tata Football Acade ...
.
Bengaluru FC also retained defenders
John Johnson and
Juanan.
Goalkeeper
Amrinder Singh
Amrinder Ranjit Singh (; 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 youth career
Amrinder was born on 27 May 1993 in Mahil ...
parted ways with the club. He was retained by
Mumbai City.
Bengaluru FC announced signing of Australian midfielder
Erik Paartalu
Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, China, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and India.
Club career NSL
Paartalu ...
on 5 July.
Winger
C.K. Vineeth switched the side. He joined
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was esta ...
.
On 11 July Bengaluru FC announced signing of Spanish midfielder
Dimas Delgado
Dimas Delgado Morgado (born 6 February 1983), known simply as Dimas, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently assistant manager of Indian Super League club East Bengal.
He totalled 203 Segunda División ...
who last played for
A-League
A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
side
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, Wanderers, or simply as WSW) is an Australian professional association football club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in t ...
.
On 17 July Spanish winger
Antonio Dovale was signed for a season.
On 21 July, the club announced retention of under-22 players, defender
Nishu Kumar, midfielder
Malsawmzuala and striker
Daniel Lalhlimpuia for a season.
In ISL draft held on 23 July 2017, Bengaluru FC retained goalkeepers
Lalthuammawia Ralte and Calvin Abhishek, midfielders
Lenny Rodrigues,
Alwyn George and
Harmanjot Khabra.
Bengaluru FC added eight new players from draft, goalkeeper
Abhra Mondal, defenders
Joyner Lourenco,
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Shankar Bheke (; born 6 December 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team.
Club career Early career and Air India
Born in M ...
,
Subhasish Bose
Subhasish Bose (; born 18 August 1995) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan, which he captains, and the India national team.
Club career
Bose made his professional debut for S ...
,
Zohmingliana Ralte and
Collin Abranches, midfielder
Boithang Haokip
Boithang Haokip (born 9 September 1991) is an Indian footballer who currently plays for SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League. A free-kick specialist, he primarily plays as a central midfielder but can play as a full-back or a wide player.
...
and striker
Thongkhosiem Haokip.
Eight players from Bengaluru FC were signed by other clubs in the draft. Goalkeeper
Arindam Bhattacharya signed by
Mumbai City. Defender
Keegan Pereira, midfielders
Eugeneson Lyngdoh
Eugeneson Lyngdoh (born 10 September 1986) is an Indian former footballer who last played as a midfielder for Indian Super League side East Bengal. He had also represented the India National Team.
Early life
Lyngdoh studied at Bishop Cotton ...
and
Shankar Sampingiraj
Shankar Sampingiraj (Kannada: ಶಂಕರ್ ಸಂಪಂಗಿರಾಜ್; born 14 December 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender or defensive midfielder for I-League club SC Bengaluru.
Career
HAL
Born in Kol ...
were signed by
Atlético de Kolkata
ATK Football Club (also known as Atlético de Kolkata in association with Atlético Madrid) was an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competed in the ISL, the top flight of Indian football. They were ...
. Defenders
Rino Anto and
Lalchhuan Mawia were signed by
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was esta ...
and
Pune City
Pune ( ; , ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona ( the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan plateau in Western India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Pune district, and of Pune ...
respectively. Striker
Seminlen Doungel and defender
Gursimrat Singh were signed by
NorthEast United
NorthEast United Football Club is an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Football in India, Indian football. The club was founded on ...
.
Bengaluru FC announced signing of midfielders
Bidyananda Singh and
Robinson Singh for two years on 31 July.
On 7 August the club announced signing of Spanish forward
Braulio Nóbrega for a season.
Bengaluru fc added their academy graduates defender Prashanth Kalinga and forward Leon Augustine to the squad for
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 ...
knockout rounds.
On 17 August Bengaluru FC announced signing of
India national football team
The India national football team represents India in men's international Association football, football and is governed by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for Football in India, football in India. It is a member of FIFA, ...
goalkeeper
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team
Sandhu was named captain of the India national team for the ...
from Norwegian side
Stabæk FC for an undisclosed transfer amount.
On 29 August Bengaluru FC announced signing of Venezuelan international striker
Miku for two years.
The club announced signing of Spanish winger
Edu García
Eduardo "Edu" García Martín (; born 24 April 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for club Shenzhen Peng City. He has played in a host of different countries, including China, India an ...
for one year on 3 September.
During winter transfer window, Bengaluru FC released injured striker
Braulio Nóbrega and signed another Spaniard
Daniel Segovia on 15 February 2018, in a short-term deal till the end of the season.
Bengaluru also agreed to the transfer for
Edu García
Eduardo "Edu" García Martín (; born 24 April 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for club Shenzhen Peng City. He has played in a host of different countries, including China, India an ...
to
China League One
The Chinese Football League 1 (), also known as China League One or Chinese Jia League (), is the second level of professional football in China, under the Chinese Super League. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association ...
side
Zhejiang Greentown for an estimated transfer fee for $150,000. In the process, Bengaluru FC became the first club receive a transfer fee from a foreign club.
Bengaluru signed Spanish midfielder
Víctor Pérez Alonso as a replacement on a short team deal for the rest of the season.
In
Out
Pre-season and friendlies
Bengaluru FC, having completed the squad selection at
2017–18 ISL Players Draft
The 2017–18 ISL Players Draft was a players draft conducted by the Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Admini ...
, arranged a 10-day pre-season training camp in
Murcia
Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
before facing
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
n side
April 25 Sports Club
April 25 Sports Club (, ''Sa io ch'eyuktan''), shortly 4.25 SC, also known as April 25 National Defence Sports Club (4.25'국방체육단', ''Sa io "Kukpang ch'eyuktan"''), is a multi-sports club based in Pyongyang, North Korea, primarily known ...
. During the tour, the blues were scheduled to face
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
side
UCAM Murcia CF
Universidad Católica de Murcia Club de Fútbol, commonly known as UCAM Murcia or simply UCAM, is a Spanish football club based in Murcia. Founded in 1999 it plays in , holding home games at '' Estadio de La Condomina'', with a capacity of 6,5 ...
and
UAE Pro League
The UAE Pro League (), also known as the ADNOC Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the highest level of the Emirati football league system.
The first team to w ...
side
Baniyas Club
Baniyas Sports & Cultural Club is an United Arab Emirates, Emirati sports club based in Al Shamkha, in the Baniyas area of Abu Dhabi. The club's association football, football section competes in the UAE Pro League.
Presidency
* SourcePreside ...
in the friendlies. Later, a friendly against
FC Cartagena
Fútbol Club Cartagena, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cartagena, in the Region of Murcia, Spain. Founded in 1995 it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at '' Estadio Cartagonova'', with a capacity of 15,105 sp ...
was added as well. Bengaluru FC lost all three friendlies. During the AFC cup campaign, Bengaluru FC played
India national under-19 football team and won with a solitary goal from
Daniel Lalhlimpuia.
After the conclusion of
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 ...
and before
2017–18 Indian Super League season, Bengaluru FC played two games against the former I-League rivals
East Bengal F.C.
East Bengal Football Club, commonly referred to as East Bengal, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system. The cl ...
,
behind closed doors
Behind Closed Doors may refer to:
Film, television and radio Film
* ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1929 film), an early talkie starring Virginia Valli
* Behind Closed Doors (1961 film), ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1961 film), an Italian comedy film by Dino ...
. The first game on 25 October 2017 ended in a draw with
Surabuddin Mollick and
Miku scoring a goal each for their respective teams. Bengaluru FC won the second friendly 3–1.
Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Goa.
Club career Early career
Born in Moirang, Manipur, Singh started his youth career at the Tata Football Acade ...
scored a brace, whereas
Miku scored the third goal. Bengaluru FC then played two friendlies against
I-League
The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
debutant,
Gokulam FC, winning both games 2–0 and 3–1, respectively. Before the international break, Bengaluru FC played two more friendlies with
Chennai City F.C., drawing the first 2–2, and winning the second friendly 6–1. In the final friendly before ISL, Bengaluru FC played yet another I-League side
Minerva Punjab F.C., and lost the game 2–3.
Competitions
Indian Super League
Summary
=November
=

Bengaluru made their
ISL debut against
Mumbai City on 19 November 2017 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Roca handed starts to new foreign signings,
Edu García
Eduardo "Edu" García Martín (; born 24 April 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for club Shenzhen Peng City. He has played in a host of different countries, including China, India an ...
and
Miku. Despite wonderful link up play between the forward duo of Chhetri and Miku, the hosts lacked finishing in the final third in the first half. There was hardly any opportunities created by Mumbai themselves as they chose to sit deep and Bengaluru dominated the game. In the second half, Bengaluru scored their first goal in ISL, courtesy a short corner routine, when Edu Garcia drilled one past former BFC man
Amrinder Singh
Amrinder Ranjit Singh (; 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 youth career
Amrinder was born on 27 May 1993 in Mahil ...
at the near post at the 67th minute. A defensive mix up in added time meant that Chhetri could get his name on the scoresheet and sealed a 2–0 victory for the blues. Bengaluru continued the form against
Delhi Dynamos, whom they defeated 4–1 with
Erik Paartalu
Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, China, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and India.
Club career NSL
Paartalu ...
scoring a brace and
Miku scoring his first goal for the club. However, they conceded a penalty late in the second half when
John Johnson was adjudged to have a handball inside the penalty area. Bengaluru played their first away game of the season against
FC Goa
Futebol Clube de Goa is an India, Indian professional association football, football club based in Fatorda, Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of Football in India, Indian football. The club was established on 2 ...
on 30 November 2017. In the action packed first half,
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team
Sandhu was named captain of the India national team for the ...
was
sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
and Bengaluru conceded three goals. With the team down to 10-men, Bengaluru managed to equalize score with Miku's brace at 3–3, but once Goa took the lead with
Coro's hat-trick in 63rd minute, Bengaluru could not find an equalizer and tasted the first defeat of the season.
=December
=
Bengaluru FC kicked off the month of December with an away game against
NorthEast United
NorthEast United Football Club is an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Football in India, Indian football. The club was founded on ...
on 8 December. Bengaluru FC made multiple changes, including bringing in
Lalthuammawia Ralte to replace
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team
Sandhu was named captain of the India national team for the ...
, who was suspended for 2 games.
Miku scored the only goal of the match to ensure the first away win of the season for Bengaluru FC. Bengaluru played third consecutive away game against
FC Pune City
Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from All Ind ...
on 14 December. Facing the crowded schedule ahead, Bengaluru FC chose to start without
John Johnson and
Edu García
Eduardo "Edu" García Martín (; born 24 April 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for club Shenzhen Peng City. He has played in a host of different countries, including China, India an ...
. After lack of clear chances initially, Pune City took the lead from
Adil Khan's header. However, after Pune City's
Baljit Sahni was sent-off after second yellow card, Bengaluru FC made the best of the situation and scored 3 goals in the second half with
Miku scoring a brace and
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scoring the final goal of the game in stoppage time. Bengaluru FC returned home against
Chennaiyin on 17 December 2017. Chennaiyin's stubborn defence contained Bengaluru FC attack and inflicted 1–2 defeat on the home team, with
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scoring the only goal for Bengaluru. Playing against the fellow debutant
Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur Football Club (, ) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football league system, Indian football. Founde ...
, Bengaluru conceded the late penalty to lose the game 0–1. In a highly anticipated match, Bengaluru FC faced
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was esta ...
on the New Year's Eve. The first half remained goalless in the first half, but Bengaluru FC took the lead with
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
's penalty in the second half. The stoppage time saw a flurry of goals, including a brace from
Miku and Bengaluru won the game 1–3.
=January
=
Bengaluru played the first game of 2018 at home against
ATK on 7 January 2017 and won it 1–0 courtesy a goal from
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
in first half. With upcoming fixtures of
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 from Iraq won the title for the third consecutive year, defeating Altyn Asyr ...
, Bengaluru FC rotated the squad against bottom-placed
Delhi Dynamos FC
Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...
. However, the rotation did not work out as Bengaluru faced 2–0 defeat away from home. Still on the road, Bengaluru faced
Mumbai City FC
Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is part of the City Football Group. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Ind ...
on 18 January 2018.
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scored a brace against his former team and with a goal from
Miku, Bengaluru registered a comfortable 3–1 win and climbed back to the top of the table. Bengaluru secured another win at home against the highlanders,
NorthEast United FC
NorthEast United Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural sea ...
in the final game of January.
Juanan and
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scored a goal in each half to secure 3 points for the home team.
=February
=
Once again Bengaluru FC started month playing
ATK, this time an away match. Bengaluru won the match 0–2.
Jordi Figueras Montel scored an
own goal
An own goal occurs in sports when a player performs actions that result in scoring points for the opposition, such as when a Association football, footballer puts a ball into their own net.
In some parts of the world, the term has become a met ...
to give Bengaluru lead in 3rd minute. At 69th minute Bengaluru reduced ten men, when
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Shankar Bheke (; born 6 December 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team.
Club career Early career and Air India
Born in M ...
received second yellow of the match and sent off.
Miku scored second goal of the match at 83rd minute to keep Bengaluru FC top of the table. In top of the table clash, Bengaluru FC next played
Chennaiyin FC
Chennaiyin Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded in August 2014 during the inaugural sea ...
away 6 February.
Boithang Haokip
Boithang Haokip (born 9 September 1991) is an Indian footballer who currently plays for SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League. A free-kick specialist, he primarily plays as a central midfielder but can play as a full-back or a wide player.
...
gave the team an early lead, while
Miku and
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scored the goals in the second half to earn a decisive 3–1 victory in the South India derby and a lead of 7 points at the top. Bengaluru continued the winning run against
FC Goa
Futebol Clube de Goa is an India, Indian professional association football, football club based in Fatorda, Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of Football in India, Indian football. The club was established on 2 ...
at home on 9 February 2018.
Edu García
Eduardo "Edu" García Martín (; born 24 April 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for club Shenzhen Peng City. He has played in a host of different countries, including China, India an ...
secured the lead in the first half while
Dimas Delgado
Dimas Delgado Morgado (born 6 February 1983), known simply as Dimas, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently assistant manager of Indian Super League club East Bengal.
He totalled 203 Segunda División ...
scored his first goal for the team and sealed the game 2–0 in the second half, extending the team's winning streak to five games. With the win, Bengaluru FC also became the first team to confirm their spot in the semi-finals. In another top of the table clash, Bengaluru FC faced
FC Pune City
Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from All Ind ...
at home on 16 February 2018. After conceding a goal in the first half, Bengaluru equalized with
Miku's goal in the second half. Bengaluru were denied a clear penalty opportunity in the dying minutes of the game and settled for their first draw of the season in Indian Super League. In the last away game of the season, Bengaluru FC faced
Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur Football Club (, ) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football league system, Indian football. Founde ...
on 25 February 2018.
Miku and
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
secured lead in the first half with a goal each and
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team
Sandhu was named captain of the India national team for the ...
made crucial saves in the second half to earn a clean sheet and secured 2–0 win. With the win, Bengaluru FC also secured the top spot for the league stage.
=March
=
In the final game of the league stage, Bengaluru faced southern rivals
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was esta ...
at the home on 1 March 2018. The game remained deadlocked until
Miku and
Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Goa.
Club career Early career
Born in Moirang, Manipur, Singh started his youth career at the Tata Football Acade ...
scored two goals in injury time to finish the league stage with a win.
Bengaluru FC faced 4th placed
FC Pune City
Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from All Ind ...
in the semi-finals. Playing the first leg at away, Bengaluru had to settle for a goal-less draw. In the return leg played at home, Bengaluru FC defeated Pune City 3–1 to enter final in their debut
ISL season. Captain
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scored his first
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
for Bengaluru FC.
Jonatan Lucca scored the lone goal for Pune City.
Bengaluru FC faced
Chennaiyin FC
Chennaiyin Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded in August 2014 during the inaugural sea ...
in
the final, played at Bengaluru FC's home
Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, also known as Sampangi Outdoor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangalore, India. It houses a running track, a volleyball court, and two outdoor rock climbing walls. The stadium is owned by the Department ...
. Owing to
Subhasish Bose
Subhasish Bose (; born 18 August 1995) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan, which he captains, and the India national team.
Club career
Bose made his professional debut for S ...
's suspension, Bengaluru opted to play three at the back with
John Johnson,
Erik Paartalu
Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, China, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and India.
Club career NSL
Paartalu ...
and
Juanan playing in the defence and
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Shankar Bheke (; born 6 December 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team.
Club career Early career and Air India
Born in M ...
and
Boithang Haokip
Boithang Haokip (born 9 September 1991) is an Indian footballer who currently plays for SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League. A free-kick specialist, he primarily plays as a central midfielder but can play as a full-back or a wide player.
...
playing as wing backs.
Bengaluru took an early lead with
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scoring a header from
Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Goa.
Club career Early career
Born in Moirang, Manipur, Singh started his youth career at the Tata Football Acade ...
's assist in 9th minute. However, Chennaiyin quickly equalized via
Maílson Alves's header in 17th minute from a corner. Bengaluru FC suffered a double blow as
Dimas Delgado
Dimas Delgado Morgado (born 6 February 1983), known simply as Dimas, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently assistant manager of Indian Super League club East Bengal.
He totalled 203 Segunda División ...
had to be substituted just before the half time due to an injury and Maílson Alves scored the second goal just before the half time. Chennaiyin strengthened their lead as
Raphael Augusto scored the third goal on the counter. Bengaluru FC's relentless attack in the dying minutes earned them a second goal by
Miku, but Chennaiyin held on to the lead and emerged winner. The loss also ended Bengaluru FC's 15 match unbeaten streak across all tournaments and their first loss since their loss against
Delhi Dynamos FC
Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...
in January 2018.
Reacting to the defeat,
Albert Roca said:
League stage
Playoffs
;Final
Table
Results by matchday
2017 AFC Cup
;Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
Bengaluru FC advanced to the inter-zone play-off semi-finals during
2016–17 season.
The draw for the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals was held on 6 June 2017. Bengaluru FC was pitted against east Asian zone champions
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
n club
April 25
Events Pre-1600
* 404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion.
* 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against th ...
. Bengaluru FC kicked off its 2017–18 season with the home game. Bengaluru FC took the lead against North Korean champions in 33rd minute with
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
's penalty. Bengaluru scored two more goals in the second half and took 3–0 lead in the first leg. In the second leg, Bengaluru FC managed to hold April 25 to a goalless draw. The home team was awarded a penalty in 75th minute, however
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team
Sandhu was named captain of the India national team for the ...
guessed it correctly to keep a clean sheet for Bengaluru FC and the team advanced to Inter-zone play-off finals with 3–0 aggregate.
;Inter-zone play-off finals
Bengaluru faced
Tajik League
The Ligai Olii Tojikiston or Tajikistan Higher League (; ) is the top division of professional association football, football in Tajikistan. It is part of the Tajikistan Football League Organization and Tajikistan Football Federation.
It was fou ...
champions
FC Istiklol
Football Club Istiklol () is a Tajik professional football club owned by Maldivian Conglomerate Maziya. Founded in 2007, the club competes in the Ligai Olii Tojikiston, the top flight of Tajik football league system. It was founded to commemo ...
in the inter-zone play-off finals. In the first leg, Tajik champions got the better of the visitors and secured 1–0 lead with a goal from
Dmitry Barkov in the first half. Bengaluru FC's vocal appeals for a penalty in the injury time were denied by the referee and Bengaluru had to be content without an away goal. In the home leg, Bengaluru FC gave away an early goal by conceding
a penalty and an important away goal to Tajik team. Bengaluru came back twice from behind but could not overcome the deficit and the game ended at 2–2, ending their campaign in 2017 AFC Cup.
2018 AFC Cup
Qualifying play-offs
As the winner of
2016–17 Indian Federation Cup, Bengaluru FC qualified for AFC cup for fourth consecutive time. They faced the
2017 Bhutan National League champions
Transport United in the preliminary round. Facing crowded schedule in continental games and domestic league, Bengaluru FC fielded an inexperienced squad in the away leg.
Bengaluru FC Academy graduate
Prashanth Kalinga made his debut for the senior team. Bengaluru could not capitalize on the chances created and had to settle for a 0–0 draw. However, Bengaluru scored a convincing victory in the home leg, with
Boithang Haokip
Boithang Haokip (born 9 September 1991) is an Indian footballer who currently plays for SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League. A free-kick specialist, he primarily plays as a central midfielder but can play as a full-back or a wide player.
...
,
Daniel Lalhlimpuia, and
Thongkhosiem Haokip scoring a goal each.
In the play-off round, Bengaluru FC faced
2017 Dhivehi Premier League
The 2017 Dhivehi Premier League season is the third season of the Dhivehi Premier League, first according to its new format. The season features eight teams; four teams from 2017 Malé League and for teams from 2017 Minivan Championship, each pla ...
runners-up,
T.C. Sports Club. Bengaluru traveled to Malé for the first leg with
ongoing political crisis in Maldives. The first half remained goalless, but Bengaluru scored two quick goals in the second half to take 0–2 lead with goals from
Thongkhosiem Haokip and
Erik Paartalu
Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, China, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and India.
Club career NSL
Paartalu ...
, however defensive lapses allowed TC Sports to score two goals and equalize. However, Thongkhosiem Haokip scored again in 78th minute to snatch 2–3 victories for the visitors. In the home leg, Bengaluru FC secured a dominant 5–0 victory against the visitors as
Toni Dovale scored Bengaluru's first ever hat-trick in an Asian tournament, while
Erik Paartalu
Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, China, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and India.
Club career NSL
Paartalu ...
and
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Shankar Bheke (; born 6 December 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team.
Club career Early career and Air India
Born in M ...
scored other goals.
;Preliminary round
;Play-off round
Group stage
Bengaluru FC competed in Group E alongside
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 F.C.,
2017 Dhivehi Premier League
The 2017 Dhivehi Premier League season is the third season of the Dhivehi Premier League, first according to its new format. The season features eight teams; four teams from 2017 Malé League and for teams from 2017 Minivan Championship, each pla ...
champions
New Radiant S.C.
New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Henveiru – Malé, Maldives. The club was founded on 19 August 1979 by Ahmed Waheed and his friend Ahammadhanik. New Radiant has won all domestic competitions bein ...
, and
2017–18 Bangladesh Premier League
The Bangladesh Premier League 2017, also known as BPL Season 5 or AKS BPL 2017 Powered by Shah Cement (for sponsorship reasons), was the fifth season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the top level professional Twenty20 cricket franchise ...
champions
Dhaka Abahani
Abahani Limited Dhaka (), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club currently competes in the Bangladesh Premier League, the top ...
.
Bengaluru kicked off their campaign against
Dhaka Abahani
Abahani Limited Dhaka (), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club currently competes in the Bangladesh Premier League, the top ...
on 14 March 2018. With upcoming
Indian Super League final, Roca rested the key players and fielded the reserve side.
Daniel Lalhlimpuia's goal in the second half proved sufficient as Bengaluru won the game 1–0. Bengaluru's game against
Aizawl F.C. was originally scheduled on the first match day, however it was postponed to 5 April due to scheduling conflicts with
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
and
I-League
The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
games. Aizawl took the early lead when they capitalized on the defensive lapse of Bengaluru. However, Bengaluru equalized when they were awarded a penalty just before the half-time. Bengaluru made the most of their possession in the second half and scored two more goals, in spite of missing a penalty, and registered 3–1 win. Bengaluru then faced
New Radiant S.C.
New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Henveiru – Malé, Maldives. The club was founded on 19 August 1979 by Ahmed Waheed and his friend Ahammadhanik. New Radiant has won all domestic competitions bein ...
at home on 10 April 2018. Having rested many key players, Bengaluru failed to find many scoring opportunities and Roca was forced introduce
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
late in the second half and that turned out to be significant as Chhetri managed to shake off his marker in the dying minutes and created an assist to
Nishu Kumar and Bengaluru won the close game 1–0.
Bengaluru's qualification chances were dealt a blow when they lost 2–0 to
New Radiant
New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Henveiru – Malé, Maldives. The club was founded on 19 August 1979 by Ahmed Waheed and his friend Ahammadhanik. New Radiant has won all domestic competitions bein ...
in the reverse leg. Both the teams being equal on the points, New Radiant topped the group based on their head-to-head record, leaving Bengaluru's qualification dependent on New Radiant's results. Bengaluru stayed in contention for the knockout stage with a convincing 5–0 win against
Aizawl F.C. that included a brace from
Daniel Segovia. In the final game of the group stage, Bengaluru FC scored a convincing 4–0 victory against
Dhaka Abahani
Abahani Limited Dhaka (), also referred as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club currently competes in the Bangladesh Premier League, the top ...
, with a brace from the defender
Nishu Kumar and goals from
Daniel Lucas Segovia and
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
. As
New Radiant S.C.
New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Henveiru – Malé, Maldives. The club was founded on 19 August 1979 by Ahmed Waheed and his friend Ahammadhanik. New Radiant has won all domestic competitions bein ...
failed to overcome
Aizawl F.C. on the final match day, Bengaluru advanced to the knock-out stage of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year, played in
2018–19 season.
;Group E
Super Cup
As one of the top six teams in
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
, Bengaluru FC qualified for the main round in
2018 Indian Super Cup. Bengaluru FC met the qualifier
I-League
The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
side,
Gokulam Kerala F.C.
Gokulam Kerala Football Club is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Kozhikode, Kerala. Founded in 2017, the club competes in the I-League, the second tier of the Indian football league system. They won the 2020� ...
in Round of 16 match. Determined Gokulam Kerala side took the lead in the first half as
Henry Kisekka
Henry Kisekka (born 31 August 1989) is an Ugandan professional footballer who plays as a forward.
Club career
Regarded as an important asset to Dong Nai's attacking line in 2012, he recorded 11 goals, helping his team achieve promotion. Not m ...
beat the offside trap to score the goal. Bengaluru's attack in the second half paid off when
Miku scored the equalizer from
Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Goa.
Club career Early career
Born in Moirang, Manipur, Singh started his youth career at the Tata Football Acade ...
's assist in the 70th minute. When the game destined to be heading for the extra time, man of the match Udanta Singh scored the goal in the 5th minute of injury time to secure the spot for Bengaluru in quarter-finals. In quarter-finals game, Bengaluru faced another I-League side,
NEROCA F.C. Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
scored his second hat-trick of the season to manage a convincing 3–1 victory and set up the semi-final game against their I-League rival,
Mohun Bagan A.C.
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest multi-sports clubs in Asia. The club has various sports departments like football, cricket, hockey ...
Bengaluru suffered a setback when Mohun Bagan took the lead just before the half-time and
Nishu Kumar was sent-off soon after the restart. However, Bengaluru continued the attack and staged a convincing 4–2 comeback that included a hat-trick for
Miku.
Final
Bengaluru FC faced yet another I-League side and rival
East Bengal F.C.
East Bengal Football Club, commonly referred to as East Bengal, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system. The cl ...
in the final. East Bengal drew the first blood when
Ansumana Kromah scored a goal from the corner kick, but East Bengal were reduced to 10-men before the half time when
Samad Ali Mallick was sent-off for the violent conduct. Bengaluru dominated the proceedings in the second half as they scored four goals, a brace from
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
and a goal each from
Miku and
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Shankar Bheke (; born 6 December 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC and the India national team.
Club career Early career and Air India
Born in M ...
, and won the inaugural Super Cup 4–1. Super Cup also marked Bengaluru FC's fifth trophy in as many years.
Management information

Midway through the season, Bengaluru FC parted ways with the assistant coach
Carles Cuadrat
Carles Cuadrat Xiqués (born 28 October 1968) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the interim head coach of the Philippines national team.
Cuadrat was a defender, who played as a left-back and spent most of hi ...
owing to health concerns. He was replaced by former
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...
youth coach, Marc Huguet.
:''As of July 2017.''
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: 16 May 2018
Top scorers
Source
soccerway
br/>
Updated: 16 May 2018
Clean sheets
Source
soccerway
br/>
Updated: 16 May 2018
Disciplinary record
Source
soccerway
br/>
Updated: 16 May 2018
Awards
''Player of the Month'' award
''Awarded monthly to the player that was chosen by fan voting''
Club's Annual Awards
Bengaluru FC's Annual Awards Night for the 2017–18 season, held at the JW Marriott, in Bengaluru, on 17 May 2018.
FPAI Annual Awards
Football Players Association of India's Annual Awards for the 2017–18 season, held at the Calkutta Sports Journalist Club, in Kolkata, on 12 June 2018.
Notes
References
See also
*
2017–18 in Indian football
{{DEFAULTSORT:2017-18 Bengaluru FC Season
Bengaluru FC seasons
2010s in Bengaluru
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...