Mandar Tamhane: The unsung hero behind Bengaluru FC’s rise

He resigned from his CEO post on 13th January.

Since Bengaluru FC’s inception in 2013, Mandar Tamhane has been an integral part of the club’s meteoric growth. In a 10-year association that saw him oversee two roles, Mandar’s contributions have been immensely valued by players and fans alike.

Under the tenure of Englishman Ashley Westwood, Bengaluru FC won the I-League in their debut season - an unparalleled feat. In their second season, they lost to Mohun Bagan in the last gameweek through a late goal, despite registering a 13-match unbeaten run. The Blues won their second I-League title in three seasons in 2015-16 and added a Federation Cup to their rapidly expanding trophy cabinet.

After Ashley Westwood stepped down at the end of the 2015-16 league season, Albert Roca was roped in to take charge, ahead of the AFC Cup quarter-finals. BFC went on a brilliant run and reached the AFC Cup final, becoming the first Indian club to do so.

Albert Roca’s first I-League season ended with a fourth-place finish, but another Federation Cup victory was secured. The transition to the Indian Super League was made in 2017, and this is where Mandar Tamhane’s contributions were vital in shaping the foundations of the club.

Transition to ISL and mastering the draft

As Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Mandar was tasked with handling the draft prior to the 2017-18 ISL season. He retained Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Nishu Kumar, and Malsawmzuala. Defensive pairing John Johnson and Juanan also signed extensions.

Given the fact that they needed to stock up on Indian defenders and a goalkeeper, BFC roped in Lalthuammawia Ralte, Rahul Bheke, Harmanjot Khabra, and Subhasish Bose as their first draft picks. Alwyn George, Lenny Rodrigues, Thongkhosiem (Semboi) Haokip, and Boithang Haokip added to the bench strength, while versatile players Collin Abranches and Joyner Lourenco were also picked in the last two rounds.

Mandar was confident of landing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu even before the draft, but negotiations went on till deadline day to rope in the-then Stabaek FC custodian. The strategy of avoiding big names and filling up on Indians with potential for key positions helped BFC build a very strong squad.

Another crucial bit of work done by Mandar was scouting Dimas Delgado and Miku even before the ISL draft. He identified the right profiles for the positions that were vacant and filled them with quality foreign signings. Edu Garcia joined for half a season and left for a huge transfer fee. As the club was still involved in the AFC Cup, Erik Paartalu’s signing added steel to the midfield and completed the Asian foreign player quota.

The peak of Mandar’s tenure

Bengaluru FC cruised to the top of the league standings in the 2017-18 ISL season, finishing eight points above Chennaiyin with a record 13 wins in a season. BFC lost out to Chennaiyin FC in the finals, but the mandate was set, and every team was wary of a new force in the country. The Blues also lifted the Super Cup that season, thumping East Bengal 4-1 in the finale.

The following season, under Carles Cuadrat, Bengaluru FC topped the league standings again and reached the finals once more, this time beating FC Goa and lifting the ISL trophy in just their second year. This was a crowning moment of glory for a club just six years old, and it was Mandar Tamhane’s vision that propelled Bengaluru FC to the pinnacle of Indian football.

Carles's blues went on a 17-game unbeaten run at home, setting a new league record.

A challenging shift in the role

In 2019, Mandar Tamhane was named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bengaluru FC after six fruitful years as the CTO. Now in charge of the club’s functional roles, Mandar faced an uphill task as many key foreigners and Indians chose to leave the club.

Four years of transition followed, and three different philosophies were attempted as the club - so accustomed to success - endured a trophy-less run. BFC failed to make the playoffs from the 2020-21 season, the coronavirus pandemic forcing all matches to be played in Goa with no fans allowed. Marco Pezzaiuoli never got a taste of fortress Kanteerava, and a sixth-place finish in the 2021-22 season resulted in him being replaced by Simon Grayson.

This time too, Bengaluru FC’s season under new head coach Simon Grayson got off to a poor start, with the club floundering in ninth place as the new year rang in. Mandar Tamhane stepped down as the Bengaluru FC CEO on 13th January, realizing that a change of philosophy is what the club needed to return to the top.

A re-structure of the club’s hierarchy and the recruitment process has taken place, with former head coach Albert Roca joining as Technical Consultant and Darren Caldeira joining as Director of Football. While the appointments of Darren and Roca might shepherd Bengaluru FC back in the right direction, it was Mandar who built the foundations of the club from the beginning and helped it reach dizzying heights.