There have been 10 finals in the Indian Super League since its inception in 2014. Of the twenty teams involved, not a single one of them had an all-Indian backline.
Come April 12, 2025 however, Bengaluru FC will, in all likelihood, field the first-ever all-Indian backline in an ISL Final.
On the face of it, it seems a minor enough shift. The league mandates seven Indians on the pitch, odds are we'd be likely to eventually see an all-Indian backline, right? Now look closer at *why* those twenty teams had at least one foreigner, if not more in their defensive setup, and you can understand why this is such an epochal shift.
In a final, in clutch games, where teams of equal levels often take to the pitch, one mistake, however minor, can decide a game. It's why most teams have atleast one experienced foreign defender in there (if not more), marshalling his troops, ensuring there are no mistakes to be made.
Gerard Zaragoza's Bengaluru FC however, have torn that script up. In the playoffs, in the club's most crucial games this season, the Spanish manager has turned up with an all-Indian backline, and conceded only two goals in 270 minutes of football. And those two goals came when BFC were firmly under the cosh, as FC Goa peppered their backline with shot after shot.
When you do look at the numbers, it's not hard to understand why Zaragoza has opted for an all-Indian defensive setup. Featuring Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goal, Chinglensana Singh and Rahul Bheke in the centre of defence, and a rotation of Naorem Roshan Singh, Namgyal Bhutia, Nikhil Poojary and Mohammed Salah in the fullback roles over the course of the season, Bengaluru FC have relied on an all-Indian backline in 56% of their 27 games so far this season.
They have conceded only 14 goals (42% of the club's total) this season when starting with an all-Indian backline. Of the ten clean sheets that Zaragoza has masterminded this year, seven have come when he's started an all-Indian backline. And the other three came in the opening four games of the season when clubs were still to figure out BFC's out-of-possession structure.
Several months later, as Bengaluru FC step onto the pitch at the Salt Lake stadium against Mohun Bagan, the expectations will be clear. Gurpreet in goal, the man who's shrugged-off an error-strewn season and is ready for the big games. Bhutia at right-back, ever so solid defensively, but also with a penchant for a delicious cross or two on the overlap, one of which helped Sunil Chhetri put Bengaluru in the final. Roshan at left-back, a constant threat down the wing, but ably covered for by Sana in the centre-back role. The constant dovetailing of Sana and Bheke in the middle, equally adept with the ball at their feet, opening up angles with their right foot - left foot contrast, and also capable of front-foot defence, bruising opposition strikers.
It should all but guarantee that Zaragoza will field this combination, but there's a slight hitch in the tale - one that the Spaniard is perhaps already aware of. Zaragoza made no secret of his desire for the Sree Kanteerava stadium to host the final, and once you look at the numbers it fairly obvious why. 80% of BFC's clean sheets have come at their home ground, and roughly two-thirds of the goals they've conceded have come away from home.
Would an Aleksandar Jovanovic appearance in BFC's defence help change their fortunes? After all, the last time Zaragoza faced Bagan at the Salt Lake, his all-Indian backline did concede in a 0-1 loss. There's a slight complication however...
Stick Jovanovic in there, and BFC lose their midfield diamond, as well as their capacity to bring Ryan Williams and Chhetri on against a tired defence as substitutes.
This is what the all-Indian backline fosters. It allows Zaragoza to field both Pedro Capo and Alberto Noguera in midfield alongside Suresh Singh Wangjam, as well as two foreign strikers. It's no secret that the Indian attacking market is short on goals and assists at the moment, so Zaragoza has adapted wisely. However, for all the plaudits the Spaniard deserves in bravely opting for an all-Indian backline, some brickbats ought to come his way as Vinith Venkatesh and Sivasakthi Narayanan have both seen their respective developments stall with infrequent appearances on the pitch.
It's a catch-22 facing most ISL managers - who've traditionally made do with a foreigner each along the spine of the defence, midfield and attack. However, the lack of goal threat from Indian wingers and strikers has forced alternative plans - Jose Molina's Mohun Bagan have adapted with packing their midfield with Indians, and Zaragoza's BFC have opted for the defence.
Mumbai City FC won the Indian Super League last season on the back of their excellent all-Indian attack, but one could argue that an all-Indian defence is braver. There's no room for errors in a final, while even if an all-Indian attack goes off the boil, tweaks can be made. Football has a habit of rewarding the brave, and come April 12th, Zaragoza will be hoping that his all-Indian defence will be the one doing all the trophy-lifting.