There is palpable excitement in the air as Bengaluru Football Club takes on arch rivals Chennaiyin FC at the ISL Cup finals in all footie glory — BFC will meet Chennaiyin FC at Kanteerava Stadium in the city for the ISL finals and it promises to be a humdinger for both teams. Football fervour is at its peak in the Garden City, and so are anticipation levels. Namma Bengalurean fans, the Blues Brigade is screaming, shouting, and getting ready to root for their home team. We catch up on the buzz of this Indian ‘classico’ of sorts, and lots more. Team Chennaiyin might be a tough contender, but the team’s history is not really playing a dampener for the city folk. “The the entire team is a well oiled machine and every player stands out in their own way, it becomes hard to pick just one. We have Gurpreet being the best keeper in the country showed his worth in the semi final home leg with that great save in the 5th minute and Dimas Delgado dictates proceedings from midfield superbly. But that attacking trio of Chhetri-Miku and Udanta is probably the best attacking trio we've had ever. So they're definitely going to be the difference makers,” shares Vijay Bharadwaj, a BFC fanatic and CA student, who believes that team Chennaiyan have arguably the toughest defence in the league. But, the challenge isn’t intimidating, nevertheless. “It's not going to be easy to go up against them. Each team has one win against the other and now comes the final showdown where only what happens on the night matters. We've beaten every ISL team at least once, so I'm sure we can beat them again on Saturday,” adds Vijay.
While there is a certain sense of anticipating, the fact that Captain Sunil Chhetri is helming the team is what keeps oorean’s faith in BFC strong. Nitin Ravi, a senior marketing consultant, says, “They (Chennaiyin) had defeated us at home, the last time they played here in Kanteerava. They'll definitely be a strong team to go against, under the able guidance of Englishman John Gregory. But that said, there are no questions about our faith in Sunil Chhetri, who has been our Captain since we were formed and has taken the team to 4 trophies in last 4 years, including an AFC Finals and now ISL.” While majority are betting their trust in Sunil’s captaincy, there are a few other trusted players too. “I am hoping for a Sunil Chhetri special. Sunil aside, my picks would be Rahul Bheke, Dimas, John Johnson and Miku,” opines Ullas Marar, a Development sector professional.
So, what’s the plan? From a fan march from UB City to the stadium, innovative banners, a much speculated bike rally prior to the match, the signature face painting ritual to chanting their lungs out; Bengalureans are all set to cheer their home team with gusto, “We've been waiting for this day, ever since we got into the competition and can it get any better than having the finals, at our Fortress. We've got some really interesting banners planned, we are going to see the highest numbers in every stand, this Saturday,” reveals Vijay. There’s also some festive special on the cards. “A giant tifo is being painted for the finals and there are other plans that are being kept under wraps for now. But one thing is clear, Bangalore is preparing for an early Ugadi celebration this year,” concludes Ullas Marar.
