Bengaluru FC head coach Pep Munoz drops huge hint on Sunil Chhetri's future following win against Chennaiyin FC
Bengaluru FC defeated Chennaiyin FC 2-1 at the Marina Arena.
In their final match of the 2025/26 Indian Super League season, Clifford Miranda’s Chennaiyin FC and Pep Munoz’s Bengaluru FC were engaged in an entertaining Southern Derby clash at the Marina Arena, with the game living up to the intensity and drama expected from the rivalry.
Chennaiyin FC began the match brightly and took an early lead through a swift counter-attacking move. Mandar’s cross found Daniel Chima Chukwu inside the six-yard box, who scored to put the Marina Machans ahead. However, the hosts were unable to maintain their advantage as Ryan Williams restored parity for Bengaluru FC before the half-time break.
Both teams created several chances in the second half, but a costly defensive error from Chennaiyin’s Dinpuia and Pritam Kotal ended up being the difference between the two sides. The mistake allowed Serto Kom to score an 88th-minute winner, sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory for the Blues.
With the win, Bengaluru FC has temporarily moved to the top of the ISL table with 23 points from 13 matches, although one of the Kolkata clubs is expected to reclaim the spot following tomorrow’s fixture.
Following the victory, Bengaluru FC head coach Pep Munoz addressed the media regarding the team’s campaign, preparations for next season and, most importantly, the future of Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri.
Pep Munoz on Sunil Chhetri:
As the 2025/26 ISL season concludes, speculation surrounding the future of the 41-year-old striker continues to grow. When asked about Chhetri’s future at the club, Pep Munoz made it clear that he hopes to retain the veteran forward for next season.
“From my side, Sunil Chhetri will be with us (next season). I want him in the team,” insisted Pep Munoz.
Pep Munoz on his time as BFC head coach so far:
Since taking charge at Bengaluru FC, the Spanish coach has overseen gradual improvements in the team’s performances every passing game. Pep Munoz began his tenure with a defeat against Kerala Blasters FC, but the Blues have since gone unbeaten in their last five matches and have now secured back-to-back victories.
Following the win against Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC sit momentarily at the top of the table. Pep reflected on his journey with the club so far and analysed his team’s performance in the Southern Derby.
“It was like a progression from the first week that we’ve been here, so the guys were catching the idea of what we want to do, it’s different things than before. They were playing better every game. We were in progress, probably until the Jamshedpur game. That was really, really good. I’m quite happy with everything that we’ve done these 5 weeks. We want to build something for the future.”
“For me today, the game was very poor, a disaster. We played very badly. Of these 5 games, it’s the worst game that we’ve played. We joined the game on the rhythm of Chennaiyin. They were playing their game, and we wanted to play our game, and we didn’t do it. I’m still a little bit disappointed because it’s not the way that I want to play,” added Pep Munoz.
Pep Munoz on plans for the upcoming season:
Although Bengaluru FC have completed their 2025/26 ISL campaign, uncertainty still surrounds the start date of the next season amid ongoing concerns regarding the long-term future of the league. Despite the uncertainty, Pep Munoz confirmed that the club has already begun planning for the upcoming campaign and expressed hope that greater clarity regarding the league’s future will emerge soon to help the team to plan recruitment and squad-building.
“It’s a lot of rumours. But I think that every season is the same here in India. From our side, we have been working for a few weeks on the next season. I came here for the next season, so I have a one-year contract. We don’t know exactly when the new ISL will start. But we have a plan for the next season.”
“Obviously, we need to know the details like how we can invest, how many foreigners we can sign, what we can do with the local players, stuff like that. But as coaching staff and management, we are working on that. To compete in the league next season, we need to invest more than we did this season. And we have to be stronger than this season,” stated Pep Munoz.
Pep Munoz on Soham Varshneya and other youngsters at the club:
The Bengaluru FC head coach also praised youngster Soham Varshneya, who has become an important attacking outlet since his arrival. The youngster has registered three assists in the last six matches and continues to impress with his performances.
Pep highlighted Soham’s development while also emphasising that Bengaluru FC possess several other talented young players within their setup.
“I don’t make a difference between the ages of the players and the nationalities. So, the ones that train well are the ones that play. And Soham has a lot of quality. He was in Spain for some time, so he can understand Spanish. He’s a good guy and has a lot of qualities. He has to improve a lot and add more skills to his game. But he’s super young, and he’s in progression.”
“And not only him, but Shivaldo played really well today. Ricky is super mature. Also, we have Worneilen (Serto Kom) today. He played today because he was training at the level of the first squad, and we need strikers. So, we put everything that we have to win the games, and I was confident that Worneilen could give us something more. We have a lot of young kids ready, and I’m not afraid to put them to play,” commented Pep Munoz.
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Shyam Sundar is an Indian football fan turned writer who has been covering the sport since 2023, after following it closely since 2020. He has reported on the ISL, I-League, IWL, and Indian national team matches. A passionate football enthusiast, he holds a special place in his heart for Chennaiyin FC and Manchester United.