Hyderabad: Rahul Bheke, one must remember, won Bengaluru FC their maiden ISL title in 2018-2019 with a header in the dying minutes. For the 29-year-old from Navi Mumbai, life had come full circle with this ISL winning goal. Four seasons before this life-changing moment, Bheke, a defender by trade, was in the stands to watch the final of the inaugural edition of ISL at the D. Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Mumbai.
Therefore when he walked on to the field in the ISL season five final at the Mumbai Football Arena in Andheri to face FC Goa, it was kind of a homecoming for him. As both sides were struggling to find the back of the net, the winner was expected to be separated on the penalties. But the 5-feet-10-inch defender, who is now into his fourth season with BFC having joined them in 2017, jumped in the air to send a corner from Xisco to the top corner of FC Goa net, beyond the reach of their goalkeeper. Bheke's goal was enough for Bengaluru FC to win their maiden ISL title.
In their first match in ISL 2020-2021, the Bengaluru side was held for a draw after Igor Angulo of FC Goa scored a last-gasp brace in a span of three minutes. Bheke played for 30 minutes in that game with two interceptions and one clearance to his credit. Now on Saturday evening, when Bengaluru FC will confront Hyderabad FC in Fatorda, they will look for the first win.
As The Blues, placed at the sixth spot on the table, gear up for their second outing in a quest to acquire full three points, the Indian national team and Bengaluru FC stopper Rahul Bheke, who is now into his 10th year of professional career having played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in I-League, talks exclusively to ETV Bharat.
Excerpts...
Q: What is the biggest take away from the match against FC Goa?
Rahul Bheke: The game against FC Goa was a tough one. They are a good team, and they came with a plan. Yes, we should have done better to keep the lead, but our performance showed that we have a good, strong set of players who can take on the best sides in the tournament.
Q: How do you cherish the moment of scoring the winning goal in Bengaluru FC's ISL win in 2018-19 final against FC Goa? Till date it is BFC's only title in ISL, so please tell me about your feeling of helping the club to win their solitary title so far.
Bheke: It was an amazing feeling. It always feels good to contribute to the team in any manner and scoring a goal that late to seal a deserved title was all the more special. It will forever remain one of the fondest memories of my career.
Q: You are predominantly a right full-back. But in recent time you have grown into a centre-back role. What does this role mean to you? Which role will you prefer if you are asked to pick on between the position of right full-back and centre-back?
Bheke: In today's game, positions are never permanent. Right-back or centre-back, I know what I am expected to do, and my job is to play in the position my coach wants me to. As long as I am helping the team on the pitch, it doesn't matter what position I am asked to be in.
Q: Football is an intense body contact sport. Due to the COVID-19 enforced lockdown in India, there was very little chance for outdoor practice and training sessions. So, for ISL how did you prepare yourself and keep your body fit and mind content, because football is also a mind game?
Bheke: During the lockdown, we all did what we could to stay fit. We mostly trained at our own houses but we were always in touch with each other, including the coaches and support staff at the club. So, we were never really alone in that sense. And it was not just us who were suffering, the entire country and the world was. In comparison to most, we have to remember that we are in a privileged position now to be able to play again, even if it is in a different environment.
Q: You have been an integral part of Bengaluru FC since 2017. Please tell me about your experience of playing under Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat, who has also been with BFC since 2016-2017 season, first as an assistant coach and now as a head coach? How much influence he has on your game and how much your game has improved under his coaching?
Bheke: Every coach has their own philosophy and style, and that's the same with Carles Cuadrat. As you said, he was first an assistant here and then became the head coach. So, it was not a new coach we had to get used to, we already had an idea of how he likes to do things. My game has certainly improved over the years, as it should. Position wise, as you asked about adapting to the centre-back role, and tactically it has been an upward learning curve these last few years.
Q: You share the locker room at BFC with your India teammates Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh. What is the benefit of playing in the same team - be it for club or India?
Bheke: It always helps to have international teammates at the club, no doubt. There is an understanding that develops and we know how the other person responds in most situations. But that is only to an extent. At the end of the day, every player who gets called up for the national team has to play under a different coach, with different tactics or style.
Q: Bengaluru FC are among the strongest contenders for the ISL 2020-2021 title like previous three seasons. According to you which teams are capable of giving BFC tough competition in the race for the title?
Bheke: There are no favourites for the title to be honest. All teams have recruited wisely and even though it has been a short pre-season, clubs have done well. So far we have seen teams fight it out on the pitch, there hasn't been a one-sided game. We are just one week into the season, so it is too early to start discussing the title favourites or the title race, especially in a season like this.
--- By Sudipta Biswas
