Albert Roca left Bengaluru at the end of last season, after winning the Super Cup in fantastic fashion to make it 5 titles in as many years. The Blues didn’t hesitate and appointed his assistant Carles Cuadret, handing him his first top managerial job.

And he has done a fantastic job since arriving at the Kanteerava Stadium. Cuadret saw the likes of Edu Garica and John Johnson leave the club and began a rebuilding project to become the ISL champions after last season’s heartbreak.

The core of Bengaluru FC remained the same as Chettri, Miku and Udanta ran the forward lines, while Albert Serran was brought in to partner alongside Juanan. Rahul Bheke and Nishu Kumar ensured that the Blues won’t have to worry of the wing threats, but eventually the former turned into a center-back.

Xisco took the position which was left free when Garcia moved to China, while Khabra and Paartalu formed BFC’s pair to provide cover for the defence. But the Australian’s unfortunate injury midway through the season saw Dimas Delgado take up that role.

Courtesy: Hero Indian Super League Website (www.indiansuperleague.com)

Bengaluru did finish on the top of the table once again, but the results weren’t convincing – 8 out of the 10 victories were with a one-goal difference. Their away leg of the playoffs was an eye-opener as North East United managed to send shivers down the West Block supporters with a 2-1 victory.

Cuadret’s tactics broke down the resilience at home and powered Bengaluru into their second ISL Finals. Odds were against him – No team has won the title after finishing top of the table. The same stat came into play when Chennaiyin FC beat them in the summit clash last season.

FC Goa have been phenomenal this season, as they improved their all round performance. As usual, Coro ran the show against some of the top goalkeepers, but their defence made them a lethal contender this time.

Most of the Final saw both teams canceling out each other and waiting for an error to be made. Jahouh’s red card in extra time gave Bengaluru the upper hand, and it came really handy as Rahul Bheke’s header sealed their 6th title since inception.

Some would argue that the side wasn’t good enough to win the title this season. But the Boys in Blues have put an exceptional performance throughout the tournament and kept their best play for the end.

Best Player – Rahul Bheke

Courtesy: Hero Indian Super League Website (www.indiansuperleague.com)

Rahul Shankar Bheke, a boy from Mumbai has time and again proven why he should earn a callup to the International team. He has been one of the top performers for Bengaluru since joining the club in 2017.

Missing only the final league game against Jamshedpur, Bheke has scored 3 goals and provided one assist. The 28-year old didn’t hesitate from making big tackles, averaging more than 2 per game. He is a huge figure in the Bengaluru defence as well, making 43 tackles and 96 clearances across this season.

A versatile defender who easily adjusts to the situation and hardly makes any mistake, Rahul Bheke is the definition of a complete player.