ISL 2024-25: Jindal Football acquires Hyderabad FC

Jindal Football, under the ambit of BC Jindal Group, have acquired the Indian Super League (ISL) football team Hyderabad FC.

The ISL club has been facing a lot of financial issues over the last few years that has now led to a new ownership.

The club was founded in 2019 and went on to win the ISL title in the 2021-22 season, beating Kerala Blasters in a thrilling final. Hyderabad FC’s home ground is the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, in Gachibowli, in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad FC’s new owners said the goal is to nurture home-grown talent and foster the growth of football in India through the club. “With a population of 1.4 billion, India is a sleeping giant in the world of football. Our venture into the sport with Hyderabad FC is driven by a desire to uncover and address the obstacles facing Indian football. Our goal is to nurture home-grown talent and foster the growth of this beautiful game in India,” a club’s spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of Jindal Football on the Hyderabad FC’s official website.

The statement added that the dream is to see India compete in the FIFA World Cup someday. “We envision a future where Indian players compete at the highest international levels, and we dream of the day when India participates in the FIFA World Cup finals. This is the vision guiding our efforts in Indian football,” the statement further read.

Varun Tripuraneni, the previous owner of Hyderabad FC, said the journey, since the club’s inception, was extremely tough. “With issues beyond our control arising, we still fought on, extremely hard, trying to do our best. This, over the years, has taken a massive mental toll on me and everyone involved. The time has come now to exit and for the new owners to move in. During this journey, I was lucky to be part of and create history, by setting up a top-flight club in Hyderabad, a city which has a rich footballing legacy. During the tough times, our players, coaches, support staff and management team all stood by me and this team spirit was what made us a successful club over three seasons,” Varun had said.

Hyderabad FC is gearing up for the upcoming 2024-25 ISL season and will kick their season off when they travel to Begaluru to meet Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on September 19.