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The Indian Super League (ISL) is now in its sixth season and will be having its twelfth city-based team in the upcoming season, as new entrants Hyderabad FC are all set to debut this season from the City of Pearls.
With a sound footballing history consisting of stories of glory from the years of Hyderabad State XI, Hyderabad Police, to the very recent Fateh Hyderabad AFC, the city's footballing scene is set to bloom again after a significant gap.
An ardent Indian football follower is well aware of how Hyderabad Police enthralled the fans of football in the country with their brilliant performances in the Durand and the Rovers Cup under the able leadership of the great Sir Syed Abdul Rahim.
Only time will tell if Hyderabad FC can rekindle such glorious success stories of Hyderabad City in football.
#5 Stadium
Though not an official word yet, Hyderabad FC have shortlisted GMC Balayogi Stadium in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, as their home venue for the upcoming season. The team is yet to train at the venue courtesy renovation and pitch standardisation for the tournament and have camped in Goa.
GMC Balyogi Stadium was constructed in 2003 and was the main host to the infamous 2003 Afro-Asian Games in which India stood second behind China in the medals tally. The 30,000 seater has a roof cover and can host non-sporting events along with all the track and field events just like most of the multi-purpose stadiums in India.
Situated in the suburb of Gachibowli in Hyderabad, the surrounding is a blooming IT and real estate hub and is expected to draw good crowds for all the home games.
Hyderabad FC will open their campaign at home on November 2 against Kerala Blasters after the first two games away from home at Kolkata and Jamshedpur.
#4 Logo
Hyderabad FC unveiled the team logo on September 21, 2019, on Twitter. The Logo consists of the two pillars from the iconic Charminar in the city of Hyderabad with the first three letters of the name of the city (HYD) in the centre of the crest paying homage to the culture and tradition of the City.
#3 Foundation
Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Pune City (now defunct) published a statement on June 17 regarding a change of home city after alleged financial strains leading to a partial stake sale.
On August 27, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) formally announced the shift from Pune to Hyderabad and the change of names of the erstwhile Pune franchise to Hyderabad FC with new owners at the helm. The franchise is now owned by entrepreneurs Vijay Madduri and Varun Tripuraneni.
Madduri's last professional role was of the Founder & CEO of Incessant Technologies which was later acquisition by NIIT Technologies, thanks to his efficient marketing and development of the product over the years.
Contrary to Madduri, Tripuraneni is well versed in the football Industry. He served as the team manager of Kerala Blasters in the inaugural season of the ISL.
He also worked as the Chief Operating Officer at Chennaiyin FC and Chief Executive Officer of the Kerala Blasters in the successive seasons along with a short term role as the President of the Chennai Football Association.
#2 Head Coach
Phil Brown was appointed as the Head Coach of FC Pune City in December 2018 after the disastrous campaign of the Stallions in the first half of the league with just one win in 10 games under Miguel Angel Portugal, resulting in Technical Director Pradyum Reddy to take charge of the team.
Reddy and Brown combined well and a late surge from the Stallions led to five wins of the next eight games. Pune finished seventh last time around.
Brown's good end to the campaign of the Stallions last season is a sign of things to come for Hyderabad FC. Hyderabad FC has partially retained most of the squad of the erstwhile FC Pune City side and it will be helpful for Brown to build on the same lines.
Brown also has the experience of managing clubs like Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool back in England which will only be beneficial for Hyderabad FC.
#1 Squad
As mentioned earlier, Hyderabad FC have taken over the pre-existing contracts of the players with FC Pune City and hence already have a set squad. With the likes of experienced ISL campaigners like Marcelinho and Marko Stankovic already up in the ranks, Hyderabad FC look pretty balanced.
All eyes would be on Laldanmawia Ralte and Robin Singh to prove themselves on the big stage to make the cut into the Indian national team. Youngsters like Tarif Akhand, Deependra Negi and Nikhil Poojary are expected to be top contenders for the Emerging Player Awards.
New signings Rafael Lopez Gomez and Matthew Kilgallon add more resolution to the defence at the back which is key to win marathon tournaments like the ISL. Not to forget the presence of Nestor Gordillo upfront who ran riot against every defence from both the leagues last season for Chennai City.
The Full Squad is as follows :
Goalkeepers: Anuj Kumar, Kamaljit Singh, Laxmikant Kattimani
Defenders: Asish Rai, Gurtej Singh, Matthew Kilgallon, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Rafael Lopez Gomez, Sahil Panwar, Tarif Akhand
Midfielders: Adil Khan, Deependra Negi, Sahil Tavora, Gani Ahmed Nigam, Laldanmawia Ralte, Marko Stankovic, Nestor Gordillo, Rohit Kumar, Shankar Sampingraj
Forwards: Abhishek Haldar, Bobo, Giles Barnes, Marcelinho, Robin Singh
