“We want to win the Durand Cup,” says Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson ahead of the tournament

Bengaluru FC have taken some long strides in this transfer window as they have brought several reinforcements and also have a new head coach to take the decisions. So it will be a very interesting and crucial season for the Blues, starting with their Durand Cup journey.

New coach, Simon Grayson comes to India with a massive resume and will be hoping to replicate that in his stint with the Blues. Grayson recently shared his thoughts on the Durand Cup and how Bengaluru FC, unlike a few other Indian Super League teams who will be fielding their main team for the tournament. He admits that it is a part of their pre-season regime but they are eager to win the Durand Cup like any other club.

“We want to win it [Durand Cup] as every other club does. We want to start getting trophies back into this football club again whether it’s in a pre-season tournament, which is steeped in fantastic history and tradition. It’s still part of our pre-season planning, so a lot of time will be spent on the training pitch to get ready for the start of the ISL season,” Grayson shared about the club’s ambition for the Durand Cup.

Grayson believes that the Durand Cup will also be a preparation for him to know Indian football inside out. He wants to develop an understanding with his players and also wants to know more about the opponents ahead of the ISL. “The Durand Cup games will be a great experience for me to learn not only about our individual players but also to see the other teams. One or two clubs are sending their second team, but we will be going with our strongest squad,” Grayson added.

Bengaluru FC have brought in some strong foreign and domestic players. They have signed Roy Krishna to bolster their attack. However recently they caught all the eyeballs with the signing of Sandesh Jhingan who will slot right into the back four and only help them improve for the upcoming season.

Bengaluru FC will face ISL outfit Jamshedpur FC in their opening match in the Durand Cup on August 17. It will surely be a great experience for the Blues as they will look to try out different tactics under their new manager preparing for the upcoming ISL season.