Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru
Full nameBengaluru Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blues
Short nameBFC
Founded20 July 2013; 10 years ago (2013-07-20)[1]
GroundSree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore
Capacity25,810[2]
OwnerJSW Sports
ChairmanSajjan Jindal
Head coachGerard Zaragoza
LeagueIndian Super League
2023–24Indian Super League, 10th of 12
Playoffs: DNQ
WebsiteClub website
Current season
Departments of Bengaluru FC
Football
(Men's) 		Futsal
(Men's)[3] 		eSports[4]
Football
(Women's) 		Football
(Reserves
& Academy)[5]

Bengaluru Football Club ([ˈbeŋɡəɭuːɾu] ⓘ) (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.ಎಫ್.ಸಿ )is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football.[6] The club was established on 20 July 2013,[7] and began its first competitive season in the I-League on 22 September the same year. Since its inception, the club has won two I-League titles including one in its debut season, two Federation Cup titles,[8] one Indian Super League title, and a Super Cup championship making it fourth-most successful club in Indian football.

The club is owned and operated by the Mumbai-based company JSW Group and its managing director Sajjan Jindal.[1] Bangalore has played its home matches at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium since the beginning of the 2014–15 season. Despite only playing four seasons in the I-League, the club was considered one of the model clubs of Indian football.[9] Bengaluru drew praise for bringing a new sense of professionalism to Indian football, including the use of on field equipment meant to help player fitness.[10]

On 22 September 2013, Bengaluru FC played its inaugural match, which ended in a 1–1 draw against Mohun Bagan. The club went on to win the I-League in its debut season and again in 2015–16.[11] They won the ISL title in 2018–19. As well as three league titles, Bengaluru also won two Federation Cups in 2015 and 2017 and a Super Cup in 2018. Between 2015 and 2018, the club represented India in Asian club competition, competing in the AFC Cup for four consecutive years. During the 2016 AFC Cup, Bengaluru reached the final and lost 1–0 to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya of Iraq.[12][13] On 28 September 2019, it was announced that the club had entered into a partnership with the Scottish Premier League club Rangers.[14] In 2022, Bengaluru FC beat Mumbai City to win 131st Durand Cup.[15]

  1. ^ a b "JSW Sports launches Bengaluru FC". I-League. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Bengaluru FC – Venue". Indian Super League. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  3. ^ "UPDATE: Bengaluru FC will participate in the inaugural edition of the Hero Futsal Club Championship, set to take place in New Delhi next month". Twitter. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Get your game face on and gear up for #eISL and become India's next @EASPORTSFIFA 2⃣2⃣ star! 🏆". Twitter. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ^ "BFC Soccer Schools". soccerschools.bengalurufc.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  6. ^ Mihir Vasavda (17 November 2017). "ISL vs I-League: Deep divide between the two first divisions". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. ^ Schöggl, Hans. "India – List of Foundation Dates". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021. 2013 Bengaluru FC (Bangalore) [on Jul 20]
  8. ^ "India – List of Federation Cup Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  9. ^ Ghosh, Sayan (23 November 2017). "Why the I-League will miss Bengaluru FC this season". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  10. ^ Sharma, Akash (25 December 2016). "Bengaluru FC: In a league of its own". LiveMint. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  11. ^ Chattopadhyay, Hariprasad (17 January 2015). "Time to regain lost glory". telegraphindia.com. Kolkata: The Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Air Force Club beat Bengaluru FC 1–0:AFC Cup 2016 Final LIVE Score, Bengaluru FC vs Air Force Club Iraq". india.com. 5 November 2016. Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  13. ^ Ghosh, Soumo (22 September 2021). "The Last Goal – Remembering Cristiano Junior". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  14. ^ "ISL Champions Bengaluru FC Announce Partnership with Rangers FC". news18.com. 28 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Bengaluru FC beats Mumbai City FC to win 131st Durand Cup". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.