02

JEFE
TALK
Good evening, Blues We are nearing the business end of the ISL
and it is very important that we make our
I’m sure your spirits are high as they should consistency count. The format of the ISL can
be after we achieved our first goal of be very unforgiving. You could be the best
qualifying for the play-off stages of the team in the league stages and all it could
Indian Super League last week. It was just take is one bad game for the dream to end
the performance I was looking for from the abruptly. This is when focus starts playing a
boys, against a very good FC Goa team. key role and I am confident the dressing
room will respond.
The big story that night was us being the
first side to make the semifinal, and
rightfully so. But for me, it was the While we may have got the
confidence and ability of the squad to turn job done, we want to keep a
up and keep the winning momentum going
winning habit going and that
despite the strain of a tight fixture list. I am
sure a lot of you must have had your doubts should work as all the motivation
when the line-ups were announced and I am we need tonight.
really happy that the boys answered all
those questions on the pitch. I have always I can keep asking more from my boys but
maintained that this team has depth in I’m not sure I can do the same with you fans
quality and the boys need more than just a who have been fantastic to us. When we
few chances to show it. come over to applaud all of you, we do it
with a lot of gratitude. You have been, are
Today we host FC Pune City who are inching
and will always be our family that we are
towards a play-off spot themselves. They
grateful for. Hope you enjoy today’s game.
have been on a good run too, winning four
out of their last five games and all these Love,
factors look like making the fixture a very
interesting one. While we may have got the
job done, we want to keep a winning habit
going and that should work as all the
motivation we need tonight. I would like to
extend a warm welcome to Ranko Popovic
and his team.
 RECAP I PUNvBEN 14 DEC 2017
SUNIL CHHETRI
Pune away was among the toughest games of
the season and I know they'll come to the
Fortress with a fight tonight. When we went to
the Balewadi, they threw everything they had
at us and I remember we had to go the
distance to bring home the points.
I had a shot saved well by Vishal (Kaith) and
another that I bounced off my shoulder and
found the net with, but the referee flagged for
handball. Theirs is a tough job and I won't
blame them on most occasions. All this
happened before Adil Khan headed in the
opener. Pune are a tough team to play, more
so when they are a goal to the good because
they are a compact unit and like to
keep possession.
When Baljit was sent off, we knew we had to
make the advantage count and Mister (Albert
Roca) sent on Edu and Toni because we
needed to throw more bodies in front. It
worked because Edu brought with him a
spark. His run and cut back was tapped home
by Miku to draw things level. Udanta did well
to create inroads to set up Edu for the second,
but it was blocked and it was Miku who
pounced on the rebound.
While the attack was solid, I have to give a
special mention to our defence and especially
Rahul, who stood strong at the back after
Juanan was subbed off to add to our attack. It
was good to get my name on the scoresheet
because I hadn't scored in three games and it
capped off our second away win.
04 BEN SQUAD
Head Coach Assistant Coach
Albert Roca Marc Huguet

GOALKEEPERS
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
28 Lathuammawia Ralte
32 Calvin Abhishek
DEFENDERS
2 Rahul Bheke
3 Collin Abranches
4 Zohmingliana Ralte
5 Juan Gonzalez
6 John Johnson
15 Subhasish Bose
22 Nishu Kumar
MIDFIELDERS
8 Lenny Rodrigues
10 Harmanjot Khabra
13 Eduardo Garcia
14 Dimas Delgado
16 Erik Paartalu
17 Boithang Haokip
19 Antonio Dovale
20 Alwyn George
30 Malsawmzuala
FORWARDS
7 Miku
11 Sunil Chhetri
12 Daniel Segovia
18 Thongkhosiem Haokip
21 Udanta Singh
25 Daniel Lalhlimpuia
 PUN SQUAD
Head Coach
Ranko Popovic

GOALKEEPERS
Kamaljit Singh 1
Vishal Kaith 13
Anuj Kumar 24
DEFENDERS
Harpreet Singh 2
Gurtej Singh 3
Rafael Lopez 4
Sarthak Golui 16
Manuel Jesus 21
Lalchhuanmawia Fanai 31
Sahil Panwar 36
MIDFIELDERS
Adil Khan 5
Marcos Tebar 6
Jonatan Lucca 7
Marko Stankovic 15
Rohit Kumar 17
Jewel Raja 23
Isaac Vanmalsawma 35
FORWARDS
Emiliano Alfaro 9
Marcelo Pereira 10
Ajay Singh 11
Baljit Sahni 12
Kean Lewis 19
Diego Carlos 20
Ashique Kuruniyan 22
Gani Ahmed Nigam 34
 Scored 30 Conceded 15
W W W W W W
t’s a top-of-table clash at the Fortress as
leaders Bengaluru host second-placed
Pune in what promises to be an interesting
battle. While the Blues have already sealed
a play-off berth, the visitors come into
tonight’s game having won four of the last five
games, which has helped them make rapid
strides up the leaderboard.
Having failed to win more than four games a
season in the last three editions of the ISL,
Pune are undoubtedly having their best-ever
show this time around, having won nine from
fifteen so far. This drastic change in fortunes
can be attributed primarily to the signings of
Marcelinho and Alfaro. While the Brazilian
Marcelinho has been the vital cog in the attack
contributing to 15 goals (8 goals, 7 assists),
Scored 27 Conceded 14
W L W W
Uruguayan Alfaro has managed to net 7 goals
in what has been a threatening combo up
front for the Stallions.
Along with a good blend of youth, the
experienced players have managed to pull off
results for Pune, but the Blues will not be
taking the game lightly. Despite hectic
schedule, Roca has managed to keep the
squad fresh with rotations and tonight will
provide a good test ahead of the play-offs.
Talking former-Blues, defenders Gurtej Singh
and Lalchhuanmawia Fanai are currently
plying their trade in the Orange of Pune, while
former Bengaluru Assistant Coach Pradhyum
Reddy serves as No. 2 to Ranko Popovic.
08

KEY
BATTLES
It’s a clash between the top-two sides in the ISL
as Bengaluru and Pune go head-to-head at the
Fortress tonight. While the Blues have already
sealed a play-off berth, the Stallions currently
lead the chasing pack and are inching closer to
booking their place in the knockouts as well.
With a high-intensity clash expected, here
are three individual duels which could
determine the course of the
game tonight.
 ERIK PAARTALU
vs ADIL KHAN
Pune’s first pick in the draft has been in
good form for the Stallions netting four
times so far including one against the Blues
at Balewadi. Having started off as a
defender, Adil has enjoyed the freedom in
Pune’s style this season which allows him
to move up. A physical player, he will go up
against Erik in the Blues’ lineup who will
want to keep a close watch on him.

JOHN JOHNSON
vs MARCELINHO
Having lacked the creative spark up front in
previous seasons, the Stallions made sure
to get 2016’s top-scorer signed up early,
and Marcelinho has lived up to
expectations. The Pune skipper has not only
struck eight times, he’s also assisted seven
and is the creator-in-chief. The Blues’
defense led by Johnson will have their task
cut-out tonight as they look to keep the
Brazilian quiet.

SUNIL CHHETRI
vs VISHAL KAITH
The Bengaluru skipper scored on his last
visit to Pune and will hope to repeat the
same feat at the Fortress today. With nine
goals to his name, Chhetri is currently the
highest ever Indian goalscorer in a single
ISL season and has been massive for the
Blues up front. His ability to drive the team
forward will be tested against a young
Vishal who has kept six clean sheets so far.
 COVER STORY

MIDAS
DELGADO
There Are Two Sides To A Spaniard The Blues Have
In Their Armoury. One’s The Unassuming, Shy And Quiet Dimas.
And The Other’s Midas, Who Takes To The Pitch Wanting
Everything He Touches To Turn To Gold…

t’s afternoon in sunny Santa Coloma de Huelva were followed by a move to

Gramanet. Two blocks away from the
Municipal Football Stadium, Luisa
Morgado opens her son’s wardrobe.
Worn out jerseys from his time at Sant
Gabriel, Barcelona, Numancia and
Cartagena hang in the wooden structure
along with the several armbands he’s worn
in his career. Boxes of clippings from
newspapers, tickets from his matches and
awards he’s received have been tucked
away neatly. In one corner, almost
camouflaged, lies a crumpled football.
“My father was an amateur footballer, so
I’ve grown up watching the game. I started
when I was only seven, at the academy in
Sant Gabriel. They were known for the
players that had come through the ranks
there, Luis Garcia, Cristian Hidalgo, and
everyone knew that Sant Gabriel had to be
the place where I began because I very
badly wanted to be a footballer,” says
Dimas, now 5000 miles away from home.
Having hit 35 last week, Dimas has been a
journeyman since his days in Catalonia.
Stints with Cartagena and Recreativo de
Australia where he captained Western
Sydney Wanderers. A midfielder by trade,
Dimas admits he didn’t start out in the
middle of the park.
“When I began playing, all the boys wanted
to score because that’s where the fun is. I
won’t say I was different, because I started
as a number nine as well. One day it
dawned on me that there had to be
someone standing back to control the
game. If we scored but conceded goals too,
every 90 minutes would go to waste. That’s
when I moved into midfield and started to
learn and understand what that
position requires.”
After spending his formative years under
Pep Guardiola in Barcelona’s reserve side,
Dimas moved to Numancia. He made his
La Liga debut with the Soria club, in a
season that he looks back on, with a smile.
Almost ten years have passed since a
Sunday evening in August where Dimas
started on the bench against his friends
from Barcelona.
12
“It was an amazing night. Ten thousand
people packed Los Parajitos (Numancia’s
stadium) to watch us play against what
people consider one of the best sides in
Barcelona’s history. And we beat them! It
was a brilliant feeling to go up against
players who were with me the previous
season. They ended that year with the La
Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League,
so I have to say it was one of the most
memorable nights in my career.”
With Bengaluru, Dimas orchestrates
proceedings in midfield. Against
Chennaiyin FC at the JN Stadium, a
moment summed up Dimas and his love
for the ball. Intercepting a pass, Dimas
plays over to Edu, who heads it back to the
Number 14. With a quick chop, he’s lifted it
over an onrushing player and gifted it back
to his Spanish teammate. This before
running into space and asking for the ball
once again; because to Dimas, the ball
means everything.
“I’m a very different person on the pitch
because I know that out there, I have to
fight to keep the ball and with it, my
happiness. I hope the fans know that I’m
not always an angry person! I enjoy every
moment because I know I have the best job
in the world. When I was young I had this
dream and I fought for it.”
He’s quick to give the fans their due. When
over a hundred Blues’ faithful stood up to
echo birthday wishes for the Spaniard in
Chennai, Dimas tucked a water bottle
between his legs and bowed down to them.
“I think the most special thing about this
club is its fans. They never surrender and
they know that they are the ones taking
this club to newer heights. It was very
special to hear them singing for me
because I’m here all alone and it is not
easy when your friends and family are far
away. For me, in India, this club and these
fans are my friends and my family.”
So where did it all begin for Dimas
Delgado? Was it when he sat in the stands
to watch his father play? Or when he
packed his bags to head to the academy at
Sant Gabriel?
“A lot of people think that football can be
learned only from the experts. That’s not
true, because for me and a lot of others, it
came from the streets. I had nothing but a
football. I held off my friends and passed it
against the wall for a give-and-go. The
cars, the fire hydrants, the potholes, that’s
where it began for me. Those streets have
now become cities and children aren’t
there anymore. I sometimes wonder if
we’ve lost an entire generation of
footballers to mobile phones and
PlayStations. I know I’m lucky to have been
born before all this!”
because he was a very important person in
my life. I had to thank him for everything
he did for me. I don’t know if anyone’s ever
dedicated a goal to three people, but my
daughter turned a year old recently, so I
put my finger in my mouth for her.”
Back in Santa Coloma, Luisa Morgado adds
another picture of Dimas to her box of
clippings, one in which he’s looking up at
the heavens wearing Bengaluru blue. As
the door to his wardrobe closes, the
football in the corner comes to life. Its
threads have chipped away from being
kicked around on the streets in Catalonia,
the pigskin’s visible at more than a few
places, and as she walks out of his room, it
takes a shade of gold. Midas Delgado.

“I’m a very different person on the

pitch because I know that out
there, I have to fight to keep the
ball and with it, my happiness. I
hope the fans know that I’m not
always an angry person! I enjoy
every moment because I know I
have the best job in the world.
When I was young I had this dream
and I fought for it.”

A goal against FC Goa at the Fortress

highlighted a stellar week for Dimas, who
began it with a man-of-the-match
performance in Chennai. As he ran down
the touchline at the Kanteerava after
scoring for the first time in Indian football,
the Spaniard says he dedicated his goal to
a few people.

“It was special because it was my brother’s

birthday, and the goal was my gift to him. I
looked up at the sky for my grandfather,
16
RACE TO THE
TOP FOUR
With the Indian Super League approaching its home
stretch, the race to join Bengaluru in the play-offs is
hotting up. Here's how the teams are performing...

PTS

30

25

20

15

10

0 PLD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
 TEAMS P W D L GF GA GD PTS

1 BENGALURU FC (Q) 15 11 0 4 30 15 15 33

2 FC PUNE CITY 15 9 1 5 27 14 13 28

3 JAMSHEDPUR FC 15 7 4 4 15 12 3 25

4 CHENNAIYIN FC 14 7 3 4 21 18 3 24

5 KERALA BLASTERS FC 15 5 6 4 19 20 -1 21

6 FC GOA 13 6 2 5 29 25 4 20

7 MUMBAI CITY FC 14 5 2 7 19 20 -1 17

8 ATK 14 3 4 7 10 19 -9 13

9 NORTHEAST UNITED FC 15 3 2 10 10 22 -12 11

10 DELHI DYNAMOS FC 14 3 2 9 15 30 -15 11

*As on Feb 14

GOALS
11 I Miku Fedor

9 I Sunil Chhetri

3 I Erik Paartalu

2 I Edu Garcia
 B O I T HAN G H A OK IP
“As we kept growing up, one by one, my
brothers picked different career routes. For
me football was everything I ever had. I was
not going to let it go, just like that, for a job.”
he Haokip clan wouldn’t let anything
shift their gaze away from the
television set at their cosy home in
Shillong on draft day of the Indian
Super League. Their boy Boithang was on
the list and the anxiety was valid. But only
till the Bengaluru table had a little huddle
before COO Mandar Tamhane rose and took
the name they were all waiting to hear.
High-fives and hugs floated around the
room freely but Boithang offered himself a
little moment. “The moment my name was
called I told myself ‘I’m in for a very tough
ride’. Bengaluru FC has always been a team
with quality players and you just cannot
walk into the starting XI. It wasn’t
disappointment or fear. It was a bit of
pressure to be honest,” he recalls.
Sure enough, the uphill climb began and
Boithang trained all week only to watch the
boys battle from the confines of the stands
and sometimes, the bench if he was lucky.
“I had a great pre-season and then ten days
before the League began, I had a niggle in
my hamstring. It didn’t make my fight to
earn a role on the pitch any easier. But I
knew it was important to keep training like
you’re going to play.”
It was little wonder then how he seamlessly
went about things when the chance finally
arrived against Mumbai City FC on January
18. Social media was lavishing praise on a
top class performance in what was
Boithang’s first start for Bengaluru and
Albert Roca too admitted that he now had a
selection headache while addressing the
press post the game.
“For me, the season began on that night in
Mumbai. I waited for a chance and trained
hard to be ready enough to grab it when it
comes.” Things have looked up for the lad
who smiles more than he speaks. He scored
a goal in the club’s 3-0 defeat of Bhutan
side Transport United at home and then got
another one away to rivals Chennaiyin FC.
“Goals, assists, tackles – I am happy to
contribute with anything that gives the
team victory.”
You understand how much making the most
of a chance means to Boithang when he
tells of his life as a young boy in Manipur’s
Kangpokpi district. “I am the youngest of
five football-mad brothers and we always
played on the same team. We were a deadly
combination and not too many teams
wanted to come up against us. As we kept
growing up, one by one, my brothers picked
different career routes. For me football was
everything I ever had. I was not going to let
it go, just like that, for a job. I wanted to get
out of my town, search for a chance and
then never look back. I found that
opportunity in Lajong and held on to it with
everything I had,” he says.
Seven seasons with I-League side Shillong
Lajong, one on loan to NorthEast United and
one with Mumbai City FC but Boithang is yet
to hold a winner’s cup in his hands. “It’s
what you play for, isn’t it? We are in the
semifinal and this is a great chance to end
that spell for me personally. It’s a big
opportunity,” says the boy who knows
more than a thing or two about chances.
#BEN #PUN
NUMBERS

COMBINED GOALS

20 MIKU AND SUNIL CHHETRI MARCELINHO AND ALFARO 15

CLEAN SHEETS

4 GURPREET SINGH SANDHU VISHAL KAITH 6

TOTAL PASSES

721 DIMAS DELGADO MARCOS TEBAR 712

SHOTS ON GOAL

48 SUNIL CHHETRI MARCELINHO 38