Hyderabad FC

About Hyderabad FC

Hyderabad FC came into the Indian Super League at the start of the 2019/20 season, and it seemed as though the club was destined for greatness. Hyderabad FC was the first football club to come from the city with cricket team Sunrisers Hyderabad having made it big in the Indian Premier League.

Varun Tripuraneni, who was involved with the Kerala Blasters previously took ownership of the club in 2019. Former Hull City FC manager Phil Brown served as the first manager of the team and Hyderabad FC was viewed as a replacement or extension of FC Pune City in more ways than one.

Background

With former Kerala Blasters CEO Varun Tripuraneni incorporating the club under the Indian Super League ownership guidelines, Hyderabad FC inherited most of the FC Pune City squad from the 2018-19 season. Phil Brown, who had previously served as the manager of FC Pune City came into the club along with the rest of his coaching staff to become the first ever manager of the club.

Rohit Kumar, Shankar Sampingiraj, Kamaljit Singh, Nikhil Poojari, and even sharpshooter Marcelinho were all acquired from the now-defunct FC Pune City. Phil Brown managed to add a touch of his own by recruiting the likes of Matthew Kilgallon, Nestor Gordillo, and Bobo.

The club chose the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium as their home ground for the season and played their first match against ATK at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Prominent Achievements

Although there was not much to celebrate in terms of results in the first season, the fact that the club managed to become the first footballing entity in the ISL from the city of Hyderabad was an achievement in itself.

In addition to this, the most recent partnership with German club Borussia Dortmund is also a sign of progress for the club. Hyderabad FC has also incorporated Dortmund’s colours of Yellow and Black in their kits and crests for the upcoming season.

Low Points

Hyderabad FC’s first season in the Indian Super League was something of a disaster. Their first ever match against ATK in Salt Lake Stadium saw them defeated 5-0. The club would go on to pick up just two wins in the entire season against Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United FC. This performance ensured that the club finished at the bottom of the table that season.

The upcoming season however has witnessed the club go through something of a rebuild. With new coach Manolo Marquez coming into the side, there is a chance for a better finish from the previous season.

Major players

The previous season witnessed the likes of Marcelinho, Bobo, and Gurtej Singh play a pivotal role for the club. 33-year-old Brazilian Marcelinho was among the top goalscorers for the club with seven goals to his name, becoming one of the top goalscorers in the league as well.

The 2020/21 season has witnessed a few proven goalscorers come into the club. The likes of Aridane Santana and Fran Sandaza have proven goalscoring records in leagues outside of India. Santana, who previously played for Odisha FC last season will be key to Hyderabad FC’s chances in the upcoming season.

The club also boasts of good Indian talent with Subrata Pal, Halicharan Nazary, Rohit Dhanu, and Akash Mishra all on the books of Hyderabad FC for the season.