We Couldn’t Get Enough Of It; In Training, In The Offices, On The Pitch Or In His Apartments, Ralte Always Had A Smile On His Face. He Tells Us Why…

His setting is in Champhai, a small border town in Mizoram. Ours is in the offices of the Bangalore Football Stadium. As the club media team gets through to Lalthuammawia Ralte to speak about his time at the club, the east-Indian breeze can be heard through his phone.

“It feels good to be back home, of course. But in some ways, I feel I was never away. Bengaluru FC welcomed me with open arms when I first walked in, four years ago, and the people I’ve met there are so close to me, that I feel like I’ve been in a second family,” Ralte says.

Having joined the Blues in their second season, Ralte made a total of 35 appearances in his debut year, winning the Federation Cup and putting on solid performances as they finished second in the race for the I-League, a night that Ralte says will live long in the memory, for wrong and right reasons.

“I’ll never forget that night at the Fortress. The moment the final whistle blew, I wished it had never happened. I know that everyone’s always seen me with a smile on my face, but I cried a lot that night and for a few nights after. But as a team, we picked each other up, and we went on to win three more trophies. That defeat taught me so many things, that in some ways, I’m more of a footballer because it happened,” Ralte recalls.

We’ve barely been able to click Ralte without a smile in his four years at the club, and before he could leave, we had to find out how he was always so cheerful.

“I enjoy playing football. It’s how it has always been. And to play for a club like Bengaluru FC, with the teammates I had, with the coaches I had, with fans like those, how could I not be happy? I smiled because I enjoyed every moment of it, and I know I will miss it.”

Ralte leaves the club after guiding them to a fourth consecutive appearance in the knock-out rounds of the AFC Cup, a night he says was fitting for a final appearance in BFC colors.

“What were the chances people gave us, of making it through? Next to none. But, that’s football, and at this club, we believed. We did our job on the pitch and the stars aligned for us. The club photographer caught me in a moment of my own (pictured above) after that game, I wasn’t just thanking God for that night. That was a prayer and gratitude for the many memories I made at this club. As I leave in search of a new challenge in my career, know that this one will forever have a special place in my heart.”