"Our focus is on keeping the core intact" - Hyderabad FC co-owner Varun Tripuraneni on their victorious ISL campaign, Manolo Marquez's future, and more
Hyderabad FC (HFC) have scripted a pauper-to-prince tale in the Indian Super League (ISL). Within three years of their establishment, the Nizams have traversed the incredible journey of finishing rock-bottom to lifting silverware.
Their success story reaffirms the pros of Indian football’s corporatization, showing how a dedicated and patient management can rebuild a team and drive it towards national glory in such a short span. The lion’s share of the credit for HFC’s resurrection goes to their head coach Manolo Marquez, who has entertained everyone with his possession-based football.
The Spaniard is a father figure to his pupils, switching between his Dumbledore and Snape-like personas as per match situations. No wonder several young Indian players like Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Chinglensana Konsham and Mohammad Yasir, to name a few, have blossomed under his tutelage and even earned national call-ups.
Marquez took charge of the side in August 2020 shortly after Albert Roca’s departure to FC Barcelona. Despite having very little time to know the players and adapt to Indian football, the 53-year-old guided HFC to a fifth-place finish in his debut ISL season as they narrowly missed out on a playoff berth. The following season, they looked sharper and more lethal, finishing second in the league phase with 11 wins and dominating the scoring charts with a staggering 47 goals.
In the final at Goa’s Fatorda Stadium, the Nizams were trailing a formidable Kerala Blasters (KBFC) outfit 1-0 until the 88th minute. Just as the stage seemed set for a KBFC victory, midfielder Sahil Tavora’s long-ranger enabled the Nizams to draw level and take the game to penalties. Thereafter, it was Laxmikant Kattimani’s show as the HFC custodian looked like a man possessed and saved three penalties to help his side clinch their maiden ISL title.
What HFC’s achievement has really accomplished is that it has strengthened the club’s connect with the fans. The people of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh have started to believe that they now have a team which is good enough to fill the void left by Syed Abdul Rahim’s legendary Hyderabad City Police team.
Sportskeeda recently had a freewheeling chat with HFC co-owner Varun Tripuraneni where he spoke on a plethora of topics. In the first part of the interview, the former Chennaiyin FC COO and KBFC CEO revealed that HFC are confident about retaining their goal machine Bartholomew Ogbeche for the upcoming season.
In this installment, Mr Tripuraneni, an ardent Manchester United fan, talks about the factors leading to HFC’s turnaround, their plans for grassroots development and fan engagement, the future of their partnership with Borussia Dortmund, Manolo Marquez’s retention, and more. Here are the excerpts.
Q: Defeating your former team Kerala Blasters in the final, Sahil Tavora’s late equalizer, Albert Roca’s departure and Manolo Marquez’s arrival – have all these events strengthened your belief in destiny?
Tripuraneni: I wouldn’t say that I’m a believer in destiny, but it certainly felt like that. The way things have happened ever since we started Hyderabad FC in 2019 has been remarkable. Turning things around after finishing bottom of the table in our first season, winning the title in just three years and coming back from behind to win against Kerala Blasters. I felt quite happy going into the final. Thankfully, we got through on the day of the final and it was a great moment for the club.
Q: How did the turnaround begin?
Tripuraneni: We knew our debut season was going to be extremely tough because we hardly got any time to prepare. To be fair to our former head coach Phil Brown, he tried to do a good job with the resources he had. It was a difficult situation for everyone at the club, but we knew it was just the start. The key was not to get demotivated by the results.
We believed in ourselves, and as soon as Sujay [Sharma] joined the club as Director of Football in December 2019, we started planning for the next two seasons. We did a lot of brainstorming and took some time to understand what the team’s strengths were and where we wanted to see ourselves at the end of the 2021-22 season. That’s how we’ve worked towards our targets.
Q: Last season, you missed out on a playoff berth by a whisker. Chasing your maiden title, how did you feel when HFC lost their first match of ISL 2021-22 against Chennaiyin FC?
Tripuraneni: We have a confident group of players and support staff. Everyone felt good going into the season. Although we missed out [on a playoff berth] narrowly in the 2020-21 season, you could see the determination in everyone to go the extra mile this year. Our main target ahead of ISL 2021-22 was to reach the playoffs and then go all the way. I think one of our biggest strengths is the camaraderie among the players. We noticed it even a couple of years back and have tried to keep the team spirit intact.
[About the first match against Chennaiyin] I think we should’ve drawn that game. Nevertheless, it was a wake-up call for the team right at the start, which prevented us from becoming complacent.
Q: You’ve been a part of the ISL since its inception. Previously, you held senior management positions at CFC and KBFC, but now you’re co-owner of a team. What have been your personal learnings over the past eight seasons?
Tripuraneni: I would say my roles at Chennaiyin and Kerala Blasters have helped me immensely. As you said, I’ve been a part of the league since day one. What I’ve seen and understood is that the key is to keep learning every day. Even though we’ve completed eight years in the ISL, we’re still pretty young compared to the established leagues in other parts of the world.
It’s very important to learn from these clubs around the globe. The other thing I’ve learned is that you need to be very patient because we’ve started doing things the right way in the last couple of years. The results will take time [to happen]. The key is to get the basics right and believe in your plan.
Q: What is the future of your partnership with Borussia Dortmund? Can we expect their players to visit India and interact with the HFC fans, or play an exhibition game against HFC?
Tripuraneni: I would say the partnership with Dortmund is at such a stage where we need to evaluate it. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do any engagement activity on the ground due to COVID-19. It has been very disappointing as the clubs have signed strategic partnerships with the intent to promote the sport at the grassroots. With things opening up now, I am very hopeful. However, there’s still some time to go before we lay down the roadmap for the partnership.
When we got into the partnership in 2020, the primary focus was on grassroots development, but the idea was to always explore the possibility of Dortmund’s first team players visiting India. We have that on our minds and that’s something we’ll definitely work towards.
Q: The cream of young Indian players currently belongs to HFC. A lot of teams are desperate to sign these youngsters. How are you going to retain them?
Tripuraneni: I think it’s part of the sport. That’s the way football is. We’ve had two great seasons with a lot of youngsters coming through. Our debut season was a blessing in disguise because there were quite a few injuries. That’s why players like Asish and Yasir got a lot of game time. Then we have Manolo who’s extremely good with younger players. Sana, too, has come through brilliantly as he features in the national team regularly.
Going forward, our philosophy will be focused on building and developing a core of Indian players. It’ll be a mix of bringing in young players from other clubs and developing players through our own grassroots system. At times, we’ll be forced to release some players and look at the transfer options, but the key is to have a good supply line in place.
Yes, other clubs have shown a lot of interest, but most of our players are already contracted with us. We’re confident about retaining most of them. The main reason why we allowed Liston [Colaco] to join ATK Mohun Bagan last season was because we knew we had some young backup players ready like Rohit Danu and Aniket Jadhav.
Q: HFC’s Reserves team participates in a lot of tournaments throughout the year. What are your plans regarding the supply line and grassroots development?
Tripuraneni: Last year, the plan was to announce a 12-month-long calendar, starting from June to the end of May. We want every stakeholder to be involved, including kids, their parents, schools and PT teachers. Unfortunately, just as we were doing that, we entered another lockdown and it pretty much became a no-show at the grassroots.
That said, we’ve been working on the calendar again since December 2021 and we’re quite confident that we’ll make an announcement sometime in May. Shameel [Chembakath] has done a great job with HFC’s Reserves team. I think we’re on the right track. It’s important to bridge the gap between the younger age group teams and our Reserves team.
It’s a great time to build a fan base in Hyderabad and establish HFC as the favorite sports club for the kids. We’ve been doing a trophy tour across Hyderabad since winning the ISL, and we’ve got phenomenal response so far.
Q: Do you have plans of building a residential academy in Hyderabad?
Tripuraneni: We entered a partnership with Gaudium School on March 23. They have one of the best sporting facilities among schools in India. They have full-size artificial turf and a Sports Science facility, which they’ll open soon. Our youth teams have a great opportunity to use those facilities. In fact, our first team trained there initially before going into the bio-bubble in Goa. I feel the partnership will add a lot of value to the club.
Q: Which young Indian players from the ISL have impressed you the most?
Tripuraneni: I’m really happy for the players from our team who got a break last season like Akash, Sana and Asish. I’m extremely happy that they were able to maintain their consistency. We’ve seen many youngsters perform well in their debut ISL season, but to replicate that next season is a real test. Now they have a lot of experience under their belts.
[From other teams] I like Jeakson Singh a lot. He was my last signing at Kerala Blasters (smiles). I’m happy with the way he has established himself. FC Goa’s Anwar Ali has also impressed me immensely. It was his first taste of the ISL and he’ll have a great future. He has shown a lot of potential. Ayush [Adhikari] has done extremely well for Kerala Blasters.
Mumbai City’s Vikram Pratap Singh started well initially. Rahim Ali is another name that comes to mind. He has a good physique as a striker. I am extremely happy for Liston even though he’s an established name now. I think he did a lot of work in the off-season, which really showed on the pitch.
Q: The ISL will stick with the four-foreigner rule next season even though the AFC has lifted the restriction on the number of foreigners. As co-owner of an ISL team, how many foreigners would you prefer to have in the playing XI?
Tripuraneni: I feel that it will be a step back for Indian football if we return to the five-foreigner rule. I don’t think the quality of the league has dropped by fielding only four foreigners in the playing XI. A lot of Indian players have got more game time. For example, we’re used to seeing an Indian and a foreigner in central midfield like Joao Victor playing alongside Hitesh Sharma/Souvik Chakrabarti/Sahil Tavora. Some teams like Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters play with two Indians in that position.
We signed a lot of players in December 2019 keeping in mind the four-foreigner rule for the 2021-22 season. We feel that our planning has worked really well, which makes me very happy.
Q: You’re a very passionate owner. When your team doesn’t perform well, do you get into team meetings and deliver pep talks?
Tripuraneni: I’ve actually never addressed the team for a pep talk when the team doesn’t perform well. I do that before the start of the season, but once the season gets underway, I leave everything to the head coach and the management. Sujay performed that role extremely well as he was in regular touch with the coaches and players.
This season and last season, when I was outside the bubble, I interacted fairly regularly with the leadership group on WhatsApp. I just wanted to encourage everyone and check if there were any issues within the bubble. I think that’s what my boundaries should be. The players know that I’m always there for them.
Q: You must be getting great responses from your existing and potential sponsors post the ISL triumph...
Tripuraneni: The response from the sponsors has been extremely good. Many brands are being associated with any sport for the first time. They are warming up to the ISL and sports in general. It’s a good sign for non-cricket sports in India. There has been ample interest from a lot of new brands, but our existing partners are negotiating to continue.
Over the last year or two, we haven't signed long-term partnerships due to the COVID-19 situation, but with fans coming in, we’ll look to sign long-term deals now. As a brand, when you sponsor a team, you not only have your logo printed on the shirt, but also find a unique way to engage with the fans. That’s why you see European clubs signing seven-year partnerships.
Q: Every ISL franchise incurs huge losses. As a co-owner, what is the incentive for you to continue in this league? When do you expect the league to break even?
Tripuraneni: If we look at sports as an investment, it’s a long-term thing. On-field results surely matter, but you can’t be happy with your team’s performance in just one season. As a sports investor, you need to be patient. Since the ISL is a very young league, we have to continue moving in the right direction. Hopefully, in a couple of years, the teams will start to break even as the league completes its tenth anniversary. If you look at the IPL, most of the top teams suffered losses in their initial few years.
Personally, I have a lot of faith in the ISL because the league has come a long way since 2014. It’s only a matter of time before teams start doing well financially. Leagues like the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) have proved that there are investment opportunities in sports other than cricket. The central pool constitutes a major portion of our revenues.
Q: The clubs should benefit if Sports18, the Reliance-backed Viacom 18’s sports channel, starts broadcasting the ISL from the 2024-25 season onward…
Tripuraneni: True. It will be great for the clubs (smiles).
Q: Do you think there should be more domestic matches in a calendar year?
Tripuraneni: We have to play the Durand Cup and the Super Cup this year, so it’s going to be a long season. It’s important that there are more games in the calendar year. It’s important for the players and also for the national team. Every club should take competitions like the Durand Cup and the Super Cup seriously.
Q: What is the update on Manolo Marquez? A month back, there were rumors that he was in talks with Mumbai City FC. Is he staying at HFC?
Tripuraneni: Those were just rumors. Manolo still has a year left on his contract with us and he loves the club. Right from the time the team won, the first meeting we had was about how we can get better next season. He knows we’re going to play home-and-away games from next season onward. He also wants to develop a better understanding of Hyderabad as a city and its training facilities. We’ve never discussed any other options. I can tell you that he’s not looking beyond building a good squad for the upcoming season.
Q: HFC will participate in the 2023-24 AFC Cup if they win the playoff against next season’s ISL winners for continental spot allocation. Are you looking to complete any big signings before that?
Tripuraneni: We’re very happy with the core we had last year. We wanted to have similar characters to what we had in the 2020-21 season. We had players like Aridane [Santana], Odei [Onaindia], who were amazing characters both on and off the field. When we heard that they were unable to return to India, we knew that we needed players to replace them not just in terms of quality, but also good characters in the dressing room.
That’s why we had players like Bart and Juanan coming in. It’ll be important to get that aspect right. As of now, the focus is on keeping the core intact. We might bring in one or two new foreigners to add to the existing quality.
Q: The Hyderabad City Police team ruled Indian football in the 1950s and '60s, but gradually lost their sheen after Rahim saab’s death. Has HFC’s ISL triumph marked a revival of the football culture in Hyderabad?
Tripuraneni: It’s unfortunate that we’ve played only one season at home, and it wasn’t a season to remember. But the good thing is we’ll return to our home ground after a title-winning season. I think the fans are looking forward to it. Our fan clubs Deccan Legion and Deccan Tigers, too, are looking forward to seeing us play in Hyderabad. We were obviously outnumbered by Kerala Blasters fans in the ISL final at Fatorda, but thousands of HFC fans traveled to Goa to watch the final. It was really encouraging for us and they’re very eager to welcome us back to Gachibowli.
Q: What are your plans for the HFC fans going forward?
Tripuraneni: Ever since we won the ISL, we’ve been taking the trophy to various academies and old clubs in Hyderabad. We’ll work on our fan engagement plans and we want to involve them from the planning stage. Obviously, on-field results are important, but we really want to make a mark in fan engagement activities.
I want to thank all our fans for their support over the past couple of years. I would request them to continue having faith in us. We’ll keep doing the right things and HFC will be a club to watch out for.