Juanan up against his old club Bengaluru FC

As Bengaluru FC walk out onto the GMC Athletic Stadium, in Bambolim on Wednesday, there will be a man carrying a piece of the club and city of Bengaluru with him, lining up against them. Juan Gonzalez - Juanan - will be at the heart of the defence for Hyderabad FC, marked with a tattoo of the famous Shiva temple on his sleeve, a monument and memory of the city he once called home.

“When I came to India for the first time, I never thought I would stay for such a long period,” Juanan said. “But after one year, I liked Bengaluru, I liked India and the league. I stayed in Bengaluru for a long time, and my kids also spent time there. So, the city is special to me. The fact that I stayed there for five seasons, playing over 100 games, means that I was putting in the effort and showing my importance."

The Spaniard was the silent rock upon which the Blues built their citadel. He was among those who decorated it with an ISL title, a Super Cup and Federation Cup. Vital and understated on and off the field, the 34-year-old carved a place for himself in the shared history of the club, scoring the third goal and ending the contest against Johor Darul Ta’zim in the AFC Cup semifinal at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on that fateful night in 2016. The Blue of Bengaluru was a second skin for the centre back for half a decade.

“He is a great player with great history at BFC and gave a lot of value to the team,” admitted Marco Pezzaiuoli, ahead of the game.

Five years is a lifetime in football and Juanan spent his peak years at BFC. And leaving was not easy. The team needed a rebuild, for more than one reason. Juanan was part of an exodus that saw the three tenured foreigners leave the club - two of them, Juanan included, not under the best of circumstances, one would wager.

"In football there will always be ups and downs. I guess it was time for both parties to go their separate ways. I have good memories from my time there, but it's important to keep challenging yourself as a player. Personally, I think it’s important for me to focus on the present and the future and not dwell much on the past," said Juanan.

"It’s the first time in my career I will be facing a team that I’ve played for. So obviously it’s a special game for me. As far as the game is concerned, it’s an important one for us at Hyderabad, and we will go for the win.”

Of that there is no doubt. Hyderabad’s performances have been stellar although results may seem inconsistent. Four points from three games leaves them level on points with Bengaluru, albeit having played a game less.

Bengaluru, for their part, too are showing signs of finding their feet under Pezzaiuoli. Their first-half performance against Mumbai City FC will give them confidence but the eleven feels like they still need to find the right balance. Sunil Chhetri has struggled for form so far this season and Cleiton Silva remains their only bright spark.

Prince Ibara, Udanta Singh, Iman Basafa are all less than 100 percent while Sartak Golui has left the bubble due to a family emergency.

Both clubs are looking for their second win of the season. It’s imperative to get off the blocks quickly, lest you be left to play catch up in a notoriously short and inconsistent league.

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