MUMBAI: Bengaluru FC (BFC) have been crowned champions of the 2018-19 season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), defeating FC Goa 1-0 in the final played at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday.
The title, coming in just the second season of BFC’s entry into the top tier of Indian club football, makes the JSW Sport-owned franchise the first team to win both the ISL and I-League.
For the record, this is the sixth major title Bengaluru have won in the last six years – I-League (2013-14, 2015-16), Federation Cup (2014-15, 2016-17), Super Cup (2017-18) and ISL (2018-19)
Incidentally, it was Mumbai-based defender Rahul Bheke who scored the championship-winning goal for BFC off a header in the 118th minute of the match.
The win signified Bengaluru FC’s dominance on and off the field this season. The club had signed up many international brands as sponsors, which included a record deal in October 2018 with Kia Motors, reportedly worth Rs 200 million till the 2021-2022 season.
However, it remains to be seen whether the club can retain the Kanteerava Stadium as its home ground come the start of the next season. Its next assignment is likely to be the AFC Cup quarterfinal in April or May.
