ISL: Re-christened Odisha FC squad details, team news and overview

Delhi Dynamos have been re-christened as Odisha FC, as they shift base from New Delhi to Bhubaneshwar. After an official long-term agreement signed in the presence of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha FC will look to hit the ground running in the sixth season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The switch to Odisha means that the club will now play its home games at the Kalinga Stadium. With three practice grounds and the Kalinga Stadium as their home ground, Odisha FC have begun preparations for the upcoming season of the ISL in full swing.

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Odisha FC will be the second set of new faces in the ISL, as FC Pune City have also closed down operations and withdrawn from the league. They will be replaced by newcomers, Hyderabad FC. The Odisha FC squad has just two players hailing from the home state, with midfielder Shubham Sarangi and goalkeeper Ankit Bhyuan representing Odisha in the team. Interestingly, the Kalinga Stadium is also home to the AIFF’s developmental side, Indian Arrows. The stadium is also the first venue to be cleared for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020. Meanwhile, Odisha FC will be helmed by Josep Gombau Balague. The former Barcelona youth team coach was appointed as the head coach for Delhi Dynamos in August 2018.

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Squad Update

Former Bengaluru FC winger and ISL 2018-19 winner Xisco Hernandez has been roped in by Josep Gombau, as he looks to strengthen his midfield. The Spaniard admittedly found his side lacking in options in the middle of the park, but the arrival of Hernandez is sure to shore up Odisha’s midfield. Former Barcelona B player Diawandou Diagne and Argentine creative midfielder Martin Perez Guedes have also been roped in, in what Gombau hopes will be the final piece of his midfield puzzle. Former Chennai City FC defender Gaurav Bora and Spanish centre-back Carlos Javier Delgado have also been roped in, with the two additions working to bolster Odisha’s defensive ranks.

Bora was a rock in defence for the 2018-19 I-League winners Chennai City FC. Incidentally, Bora played in all of the I-League winners’ 20 games during last season. Bora was earlier a part of the FC Pune City squad, but failed to make it through to the matchday squad. Spanish striker Aridane Santana has arrived on loan from Spanish side Cultural Leonesa to provide options up front for Josep Gombau. 

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Odisha FC Full Squad

Goalkeepers – Francisco Dorronsoro, Albino Gomes, Arshdeep Singh, Ankit Bhuyan

Defenders – Carlos Delgado, Gaurav Bora, Rana Gharami, Amit Tudu, Md. Sajid Dhot, Narayan Das, Pradeep Mohanraj

Midfielders - Marcos Tebar, Diwandou Diagne, Bikramjit Singh, Vinit Rai, Martin Perez Guedes, Adria Carmona, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Xisco Hernandez, Nandha Kumar Sekar, Romeo Fernandes

Strikers – Aridane Santana, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Seiminmang Manchong, Shubham Sarangi

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