BFC fall prey to league winners' jinx

In international football, the country that wins the Confederation Cup held a year prior to the World Cup is supposed to be jinxed. Confederations Cup winners have never won the World Cup. In Indian football a similar hoodo now exists. The winners of the Indian Super League have never won the overall title.

In 2018, with league winners Bengaluru FC enjoying home advantage in the final against Chennaiyan FC it was thought this jinx would be broken. It was the first South Indian derby in a major domestic tournament since 1954 when Hyderabad City Police beat Hindustan Aircraft Bangalore 1-0 in the Durand final. However Chennaiyan FC expertly coached by former Aston Villa manager (1998-2002) John Gregory excelled in scoring goals off set pieces to oust the favourites 3-2 in the final.

Gregory relied on a 4-2-3-1 system and the role of his defensive midfielders Dhanpal Ganesh and Bikramjit Singh in thwarting attacks and launching quick counter-attacks was noteworthy. Six from Chennaiyan FC, defenders Fulganco Cardozo and Jerry Lalrinzuala, midfielders Ganesh, Germanpreet Singh and Anirudh Thapa and striker Jeje Lalpekhlua are in the India squad for the Asian Cup qualifier against the Kyrgyz Republic.

In 2015, Chenniayan had also staged a dramatic comeback to oust hosts and league leaders FC Goa in the final. Consequently there is now an acrimonious debate on whether the ISL should be decided only on points, as in the Premiership and major European leagues, or by knockout matches.

Results of four seasons of the ISL reveal that franchises from South India have excelled. Chennaiyan FC are arguably the most outstanding team overall champions in the 2nd and 4th ISLs. They were also league winners in the 1st ISL in 2014 but lost a South India derby to Kerala Blasters in the semi-final. The well-supported Kerala Blasters have also twice reached the final in the 1st and 3rd ISLs. Bengaluru FC were league winners in the 4th ISL and overall runners-up.

Both Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyan FC were rewarded for continuity in retaining players in their squad. In contrast both North East United FC and Delhi Dynamos which made wholesale changes in their squads finished last (10th) and eighth respectively.

Creditably ISL-4 saw the emergence of many promising young Indian players, especially speedy winger Udanta Singh (Bengaluru FC), midfielder Ashfique Kuruniyan and defender Sarthak Golui (both FC Pune City) and left back Lalruatharra (Kerala Blasters). The 23-year-old Mizo, Lalruatharra, played in 17 out of the 18 matches, was chosen as the ISL Emerging Player and has been picked for the India squad.

FC Goa were the most exciting, attacking team to watch in ISL-4. Sergio Lobera of Spain, the youngest coach in the Indian Super League, surpassed expectations by taking FC Goa to the semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Chennaiyin FC. With a better goalkeeper and more consistent defence FC Goa could have been champions. Lobera has returned home to be with his wife, expected to deliver their first child later this month. Hence for the ongoing Super Cup, the seasoned Derrick Pereira will be FC Goa’s coach. He is the first Indian to be chief coach of an ISL franchise.