Bengaluru FC: Why ISL champions could struggle to retain title

The Blues lifted their first crown at the second time of asking last season.

Bengaluru FC have undoubtedly been one of the most successful Indian clubs in recent times and despite their short history and lifespan, the Blues have managed to create quite the wave in the southern city. Although, there is massive support for the club across the country, the Bengaluru FC faithful - commonly known as the West Block Blues, often act as the voice of the club, turning up to both home and away fixtures in huge numbers.

All of the club’s investments and commitments to this point have effectively paid off and the ultimate proof of that is the ISL title they won last year. Despite having reached the final of the tournament before, the Blues were only able to emphasize their sheer superiority over the other squads last season. The likes of Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh and Rahul Bheke on the same side caused massive headaches to all of the competition.

At this point, it can easily be argued that the Blues have enough firepower going into next season to pull off another comfortable league victory. Upon closer inspection though, a few cracks do begin to appear.

The departures of two crucial players in talisman Miku Fedor and midfield destroyer Xisco Hernandez will come as huge blows to the side from Karnataka.

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Having delivered the ISL trophy once already, Carles Cuadrat‘s bid to retain the title has seen him splurge into the transfer market as well. Raphael Augusto was brought in from Chennaiyin FC on a free transfer, while ATK’s Eugeneson Lyngdoh was also acquired over the summer. On a more attacking note, the Blues were able to lure one of India’s rising stars in Ashique Kuruniyan from FC Pune City as well.

Moreover, in what is quite possibly their most vital signing of the summer so far, Cuadrat has managed to secure the services of 31-year-old forward Manuel Onwu from UCAM Murcia. With that said though, the Spanish striker has never really been able to display his full potential in any of the leagues he’s played in so far. The pace and fluidity of the Indian game will be much slower than he’s generally used to and this could be a massive factor.

Apart from the possibility of their new striking import not clicking, there are other areas of the pitch where Cuadrat needs to be worried as well. Chhetri’s rising age is a harsh reality that not just Bengaluru, but even fans of Indian football will have to face at some point. Although, Kuruniyan has the potential to do well, with Boithang Haokip now gone as well, it still feels like there’s a lack of a genuinely quick winger.

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Even off the pitch, the Blues’ pre-season has been quite questionable. The mystery surrounding their potential eviction from the Sree Kanteerava Stadium is looming large too. The fans will definitely react disappointingly if they’re forced to move away from their beloved fortress. Unless a resolution is found to this problem prior to the start of the ISL campaign, the Blues could struggle with a heavily reduced viewership and fanbase.

At the end of the day, Cuadrat’s men are the reigning champions of the ISL and there’s no denying that. The way in which they have managed to sign up some supremely talented players to back up their retention bid is worth applauding. But, the fact that there is an inexplicable air of doubt surrounding this club at the moment can’t be denied.