Bengaluru FC has been struggling with inconsistency since it parted ways with Carles Cuadrat, including its performance in the AFC Championship not up to the mark. The new Italian head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli has added five new foreigners to the squad with Alan Costa and Yrondu Musavu-King at the back to contain opposition’s attacks.
While defense looks like a work in progress, the attack is well in place with a mix of Indians and foreigners, and skipper Sunil Chhetri leading the line.
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Alan Costa
The Brazilian centre-back has joined Bengaluru FC on loan after clinching Campeonato Catarinense State Championship with Avaí in May. He became the second foreign signing under Pezzaiuoli and will be instrumental at the back for a side that has lost Rahul Bheke before the upcoming season.
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Having begun his career in the youth ranks of Ferroviária in Brasil, Costa had stints at Palmeiras, Internacional and Coritiba, and loan spells at Sao Bento and Vitoria, before joining Avaí in 2020. The 31-year-old has spent his entire career in Brazil and will look to have a good stint outside his home country.
Yrondu Musavu-King
The Gabonese defender became the first foreign signing for the Blues this season, agreeing to stay with the ISL side till the end of the season.
A product of the Caen Academy in France, the 29-year-old has turned out for clubs across Europe’s top divisions, including Granada, Udinese, Lorient and Toulouse, among others, with his most recent stint in the 2019-20 season, with French side Le Mans in Ligue 2.
The Libreville-born centre-back has been capped at the international level with Gabon, having made his debut in a 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Congo.
Bruno Ramires
Brazilian midfielder Bruno Edgar Silva Almeida, more commonly known as Bruno Ramires, became Pezzaiuoli’s ninth signing of the summer. Ramires' most recent appearance came with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Belenenses SAD.
A product of the Bahia Youth Academy, Ramires started playing for Brazilian sides Vitoria and Cruzeiro. With Cruzeiro, Ramires was part of the team that secured the Brazilian domestic double in 2014, winning the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A and Campeonato Mineiro.
In 2020, Ramires joined Portuguese LigaPro side Feirense, before making a transfer to Belenenses in the Primeira Liga for an undisclosed fee in 2020. At Belenenses, Ramires made 32 appearances across all competitions, as the side finished 10th in the League.
Iman Basafa
Iranian midfielder Iman Basafa becoming the club's tenth signing with the 29-year-old most recently turning out for Machine Sazi in the Persian Gulf Pro League and his move to Bengaluru sets up a first stint outside Iran.
A member of Iran’s youth teams, Basafa has represented his national side at the U17, U20 and U23 levels. Starting his youth career at Shahrdari Bandar Abbas, he had several spells with teams in Iran’s top divisions, before making his professional debut with Shahrdari Arak in 2012.
Basafa made his AFC Champions League bow with Esteghlal FC in 2014, and went on to play for Fajr Sepasi Shiraz, Malavan, Aluminium Arak and Pars Jonoubi Jam, racking up over 100 appearances in the Azadegan League.
Prince Ibara
Bengaluru FC added more muscle in its arsenal after signing Congolese striker Prince Ibarra on a two-year deal with an optional one-year extension.
The 25-year-old most recently represented Ligue 2 side Chateauroux on loan from Belgian First Division A side Beerschot.
Ibara joined Qatar Stars League side Al-Wakrah in 2017 and moved to Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 side USM Alger the following season, where he scored nine League goals helping Alger to the Championnat National 1 title.
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He has represented the Congo National team on 13 occasions, scored four times, the first of which came in African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia in 2018.
Cleiton Silva
Silva has been with the Blues for a year and has seven goals in 18 matches for it. With Silva on the wings along with Udanta, Sunil Chhetri will find it easier to penetrate the opposition defense.
The 33-year-old, who started his career with Brazilian side Madureira, moved to Thailand where he spent a better part of the decade playing for Muangthong United and Suphanburi, apart from stints in Mexico and China.
He became the first foreign player to reach the 100-goal mark in Thailand and finished top scorer of the Thai League 1 for two seasons.
He also tops the charts of the all-time leading scorers of the League. His biggest success came at Muangthong where he racked up 57 goals in 79 appearances and won three major trophies in as many seasons at the club.
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