Away from the glitz and glamour of much of sport, Indian football in its truest form – on the field – has been doing the talking these past four months. But, as ever, not many appear to be listening.
Not even when the thrilling 2015 edition of the Hero I-league, the country’s topmost football division, is set to culminate in a last-round title showdown between defending champions Bengaluru FC and current league leaders Mohun Bagan on Sunday. Bengaluru must win, while Bagan need only a draw to lift the trophy.
It’s the dream finale any football league in the world could hope for. Such head-to-head climaxes within a league-only structure remain a rarity, even in world football. While it highlights the level of competition within the division, it also adds much to propagate the league’s legend.
Arsenal’s famous title-snatching win at Liverpool on the final day of the 1988-89 English season, for instance, is still thrown up in discussions nearly three decades later. It’s likely that Atletico Madrid’s 2014 title-claiming victory at Barcelona on the league’s last day will be recalled by future generations too.
Power versus legend
Let a magnifying glass hover over Sunday’s season-defining clash in Bengaluru, and it adds to both its grandeur and symbolism. It pits two clubs of striking contrast: the new and bold and the old and resurgent; the champion of modernism versus the believer in traditionalism; the British-styled club of the future versus the Kolkata-based institution seemingly strangled by its past.
Bengaluru FC, formed in 2013 and the league’s youngest club, aims for its second league title in as many seasons of existence while Mohun Bagan, established in 1889 and one of Asia’s oldest clubs, strives to reclaim its throne and honour after 13 painfully long years of being separated from the league trophy.
It would be billed as a mega contest in any country’s sporting sphere. Yet it’s virtually flying under the radar in India, where only celebrity-promoted sports and celebrity-driven leagues are thriving through the ever-increasing monopoly of a dominant sports broadcaster that has a stake in all its new properties.
The success – at least, commercially -- of the inaugural Hero Indian Super League (ISL) was supposed to rub off on the rest of Indian football. The ISL, which stretched from October-December 2014, made quite an impact during its first season and saw football once again become part of Indian conversations.
But why isn’t anyone interested?
But while the new tournament may have given hope and motivation to an aspiring footballer at the grassroots level, the spectators’ level of interest in the sport was not carried forward. The Fatorda Stadium, repeatedly packed with boisterous crowds to support ISL franchise FC Goa, was seen largely empty for Federation Cup matches only a week after the ISL was over.
I-league didn’t garner better attendances either, reaffirming a general feeling that it’ll soon play second fiddle to the ISL in what could perhaps be a tier-based system. Even today, you can watch more of last year’s ISL on television than find the ongoing I-league running. The latter is also virtually non-existent on the digital media platforms, where the ISL thrived.
And all this, quite demoralisingly, in an I-league season that really couldn’t have been more unpredictable and exciting to follow.
A dramatic season
Goan clubs Dempo and Salgaocar – who shared the trophy amongst themselves six times out of nine since 2006 – fought battles to survive relegation. Dempo failed, and now prepare for the unthinkable: Life in division two. Little Royal Wahingdoh came up as the third club from Shillong, defied the odds and were incredibly part of the title race till early May.
Gritty Mumbai FC made a romantic return to their spiritual home at the famous Cooperage Ground, where they beat East Bengal and held both Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC to score draws. Defending champions Bengaluru FC, who were expected to drop pace due to continental commitments, started slowly but stormed back into contention.
And, of course, there is the big story of Mohun Bagan’s revival under coach Sanjoy Sen that has all of Kolkata excited again. Unbeaten in the first 12 matches, the Mariners appeared to be running away with the league until mid-April – a feat that was as incredible as it was unexpected after an embarrassing exit in the Federation Cup. But four defeats in five matches within a month for Sen’s team allowed Bengaluru back in the title race, and set up the enthralling summit showdown.
Red and green resurgence
Sen’s arrival wasn’t readily accepted by the club’s supporters. He had been relegated with Mohammedan Sporting last season, and did not immediately appear to be the man to transform a club in turmoil.
But over the course of the next five months, his effective utilisation of players and tactical shrewdness shone through. Suddenly, Bagan’s previously criticised policy of foreign recruits felt less of a concern. It became their strength.
New recruit Pierre Boya, a former Cameroon international, was successfully deployed in a withdrawn playmaker role instead of being played in his usual centre-forward position. Japanese midfielder Katsumi Yusa, who failed to impress last season, was effectively used from the wings rather than in a central role. He has scored seven times this season.
Haiti’s Sony Norde, the season’s best forward signing, has been the Mariners’ top scorer with nine goals and leads the league with seven assists. Between him and Katsumi, they’ve scored exactly half of Bagan’s 32 goals this season. The mid-season arrival of Nigerian centre-back Bello Rassaq has worked wonders too; Bagan is the team that has conceded the least number of goals in the league.
The holders on a high
Bengaluru themselves are no strangers to a manager’s huge impact. Coach Ashley Westwood, a former Manchester United trainee, developed the club and its unique football culture right from the bottom to top. Using his extensive knowledge of English football, he introduced training methods and fitness tests that were never conducted before in India.
He’s by far the main man at the club – dropping an out-of-form Sunil Chhetri being an indicator of his control. After winning the trophy last season and lifting the Federation Cup earlier this year, Westwood has smartly rotated his squad to handle the added pressure of the AFC Cup, where his side has reached the knockout rounds.
This season Bengaluru’s strength lies in its team effort, as star forwards Rooney – Sean, not you-know-who, obviously – and Chhetri have both misfired. Playmaker Eugeneson Lyngdoh, signed from Rangdajied United and now an India international, has been a key player in their late surge to retain the title. The Shillong-born midfielder is the club’s joint-highest scorer (six goals) and holds the league’s second-highest assists (six). He’ll hold the key to unlocking Bagan’s stingy defence.
Whatever the result on Sunday, Bengaluru FC’s long-termism is a feature other clubs must aspire to follow. While Mohun Bagan’s victory will be one for the traditionalists – a win deep-rooted in history and much-needed too for the city of Kolkata – let’s hope the club doesn’t lose sight of things and forget the need for a major reform. Indian football, as a whole, needs one. And it all starts at the club level.
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Not even when the thrilling 2015 edition of the Hero I-league, the country’s topmost football division, is set to culminate in a last-round title showdown between defending champions Bengaluru FC and current league leaders Mohun Bagan on Sunday. Bengaluru must win, while Bagan need only a draw to lift the trophy.
It’s the dream finale any football league in the world could hope for. Such head-to-head climaxes within a league-only structure remain a rarity, even in world football. While it highlights the level of competition within the division, it also adds much to propagate the league’s legend.
Arsenal’s famous title-snatching win at Liverpool on the final day of the 1988-89 English season, for instance, is still thrown up in discussions nearly three decades later. It’s likely that Atletico Madrid’s 2014 title-claiming victory at Barcelona on the league’s last day will be recalled by future generations too.
Power versus legend
Let a magnifying glass hover over Sunday’s season-defining clash in Bengaluru, and it adds to both its grandeur and symbolism. It pits two clubs of striking contrast: the new and bold and the old and resurgent; the champion of modernism versus the believer in traditionalism; the British-styled club of the future versus the Kolkata-based institution seemingly strangled by its past.
Bengaluru FC, formed in 2013 and the league’s youngest club, aims for its second league title in as many seasons of existence while Mohun Bagan, established in 1889 and one of Asia’s oldest clubs, strives to reclaim its throne and honour after 13 painfully long years of being separated from the league trophy.
It would be billed as a mega contest in any country’s sporting sphere. Yet it’s virtually flying under the radar in India, where only celebrity-promoted sports and celebrity-driven leagues are thriving through the ever-increasing monopoly of a dominant sports broadcaster that has a stake in all its new properties.
The success – at least, commercially -- of the inaugural Hero Indian Super League (ISL) was supposed to rub off on the rest of Indian football. The ISL, which stretched from October-December 2014, made quite an impact during its first season and saw football once again become part of Indian conversations.
But why isn’t anyone interested?
But while the new tournament may have given hope and motivation to an aspiring footballer at the grassroots level, the spectators’ level of interest in the sport was not carried forward. The Fatorda Stadium, repeatedly packed with boisterous crowds to support ISL franchise FC Goa, was seen largely empty for Federation Cup matches only a week after the ISL was over.
I-league didn’t garner better attendances either, reaffirming a general feeling that it’ll soon play second fiddle to the ISL in what could perhaps be a tier-based system. Even today, you can watch more of last year’s ISL on television than find the ongoing I-league running. The latter is also virtually non-existent on the digital media platforms, where the ISL thrived.
And all this, quite demoralisingly, in an I-league season that really couldn’t have been more unpredictable and exciting to follow.
A dramatic season
Goan clubs Dempo and Salgaocar – who shared the trophy amongst themselves six times out of nine since 2006 – fought battles to survive relegation. Dempo failed, and now prepare for the unthinkable: Life in division two. Little Royal Wahingdoh came up as the third club from Shillong, defied the odds and were incredibly part of the title race till early May.
Gritty Mumbai FC made a romantic return to their spiritual home at the famous Cooperage Ground, where they beat East Bengal and held both Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC to score draws. Defending champions Bengaluru FC, who were expected to drop pace due to continental commitments, started slowly but stormed back into contention.
And, of course, there is the big story of Mohun Bagan’s revival under coach Sanjoy Sen that has all of Kolkata excited again. Unbeaten in the first 12 matches, the Mariners appeared to be running away with the league until mid-April – a feat that was as incredible as it was unexpected after an embarrassing exit in the Federation Cup. But four defeats in five matches within a month for Sen’s team allowed Bengaluru back in the title race, and set up the enthralling summit showdown.
Red and green resurgence
Sen’s arrival wasn’t readily accepted by the club’s supporters. He had been relegated with Mohammedan Sporting last season, and did not immediately appear to be the man to transform a club in turmoil.
But over the course of the next five months, his effective utilisation of players and tactical shrewdness shone through. Suddenly, Bagan’s previously criticised policy of foreign recruits felt less of a concern. It became their strength.
New recruit Pierre Boya, a former Cameroon international, was successfully deployed in a withdrawn playmaker role instead of being played in his usual centre-forward position. Japanese midfielder Katsumi Yusa, who failed to impress last season, was effectively used from the wings rather than in a central role. He has scored seven times this season.
Haiti’s Sony Norde, the season’s best forward signing, has been the Mariners’ top scorer with nine goals and leads the league with seven assists. Between him and Katsumi, they’ve scored exactly half of Bagan’s 32 goals this season. The mid-season arrival of Nigerian centre-back Bello Rassaq has worked wonders too; Bagan is the team that has conceded the least number of goals in the league.
The holders on a high
Bengaluru themselves are no strangers to a manager’s huge impact. Coach Ashley Westwood, a former Manchester United trainee, developed the club and its unique football culture right from the bottom to top. Using his extensive knowledge of English football, he introduced training methods and fitness tests that were never conducted before in India.
He’s by far the main man at the club – dropping an out-of-form Sunil Chhetri being an indicator of his control. After winning the trophy last season and lifting the Federation Cup earlier this year, Westwood has smartly rotated his squad to handle the added pressure of the AFC Cup, where his side has reached the knockout rounds.
This season Bengaluru’s strength lies in its team effort, as star forwards Rooney – Sean, not you-know-who, obviously – and Chhetri have both misfired. Playmaker Eugeneson Lyngdoh, signed from Rangdajied United and now an India international, has been a key player in their late surge to retain the title. The Shillong-born midfielder is the club’s joint-highest scorer (six goals) and holds the league’s second-highest assists (six). He’ll hold the key to unlocking Bagan’s stingy defence.
Whatever the result on Sunday, Bengaluru FC’s long-termism is a feature other clubs must aspire to follow. While Mohun Bagan’s victory will be one for the traditionalists – a win deep-rooted in history and much-needed too for the city of Kolkata – let’s hope the club doesn’t lose sight of things and forget the need for a major reform. Indian football, as a whole, needs one. And it all starts at the club level.