#4 Fighting against all odds
The journey to the finals has not only been about the club or the team, it’s been about individuals as well. When Sunil Chhetri returned from Major League Soccer and the Portuguese second division after plying his trade with Kansas City Wizards and Sporting CP B, there were no major teams willing to sign him, and thus, he joined Bengaluru FC.
The growth has been phenomenal. Sunil has bettered as a player and has seen some of the best moments of his club career, winning the I-League on multiple occasions and also reaching the AFC Cup final.
For Nishu Kumar, a journey from UP’s Muzaffarnagar to the AFC Cup finals is nothing short of a dream. While individual stories have been dreamlike, it is the team’s story which has been nothing short of phenomenal. Bengaluru FC started its journey just three years ago, winning the league in its debut season. The team also won the league after a hiatus of a year and has easily been one of the best teams in the country for the last three years.
I-League is one of the toughest leagues in Asia, with only four foreigners being allowed to feature in the playing XI. While the Singapore and Qatar leagues are more relaxed in terms of the home-based players’ rule, Indian club Bengaluru FC have, against all odds, managed to reach the pinnacle of Asian football, which is nothing short of an achievement in itself. Breaking all barriers to reach where they’re right now, Bengaluru FC deserve all the plaudits for their lofty achievements.
