Bengaluru FC and East Bengal FC open their respective 2024-25 Indian Super League campaigns tonight at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru. Both BFC and EBFC come into this season on the back of disappointing outings last year, where they finished 10th and 9th in the league respectively.
That didn’t sit too well with the vocal fanbases of both clubs, and their owners have responded by splashing the cash in the summer transfer window. Both teams now boast of squads that can legitimately push for silverware, should everything fall into place over the course of the season.
Bengaluru FC have made a big splash in all areas of the pitch, signing Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Edgar Mendez in attack, Alberto Noguera and Pedro Capo in midfield, Rahul Bheke and Mo Salah in defence, as well as Lalthuammawia Ralte in goal. These compensate for the departures of Lara Sharma, Slavko Damjanovic, Javi Hernandez, Rohit Kumar and Jayesh Rane.
Sunil Chhetri, now free from his duties with the national team, faces up to potentially his last season (not that he agrees). It will be interesting to see how Gerard Zaragoza deals with the squad dynamics with so many strikers in the squad. However, BFC’s new starting XI has quality in all areas of the pitch and can beat anyone on their day.
As for East Bengal, Carles Cuadrat has made two crucial additions up top. East Bengal have signed last season’s top scorer and leading assist-maker in Dimitrios Diamantakos and Madih Talal. They’ve also acquired promising forward David Lalhlansanga, bolstered their midfield and defence with Jeakson Singh and Hector Yuste. The Anwar Ali transfer saga has marred their dealings somewhat, with uncertainties around his participation – given the courts have ruled he is a Mohun Bagan player still.
In contrast to other sides who have splashed the cash to replace key players, East Bengal have let go of a whole host of underperforming foreigners and Indian squad players. They genuinely have a starting XI of proper quality and Cuadrat can work his trophy-winning wonders with them.
Thus, we are all set for a contest that could define the mood around the respective fanbases for the season to come, and perhaps their results too. It’s all up for grabs.
What they said
Gerard Zaragoza, Bengaluru FC head coach
“The players we wanted to sign are here. The sporting director and owners have done their job and now it’s our time to show. We had a really good pre-season in terms of training, fitness conditions and tactics. We also participated in the Durand Cup which gave us a glimpse of what we want to see in the ISL.”
Carles Cuadrat, East Bengal FC head coach
“We are building a squad and trying to improve from last season and we have brought in new players to help us be more competitive. Also, we have given opportunities to youngsters. Some of them already debuted last season and assisted or scored goals. This will be their second year, a year to show that they are ready for the competition.”
