“We have got Chhetri, Sunil Chhetri,” announced Bengaluru Football Club on Twitter on June 20, as the Indian footballer’s tenure with the team has been extended till 2023. In a statement, the Bengaluru FC said that its captain Sunil Chhetri said a new deal that will keep him with the team for two more years. With the new deal, his stint with Bengaluru FC will continue into the tenth season in the club.
The statement said that Chhetri had joined Bengaluru FC in 2013 and had made 203 appearances for the club till now. He had scored 101 goals during this period. Chhetri has led the club since it was created in 2013 and has topped the goal-scoring charts in each of his eight seasons with Bengaluru.
“I am really happy to have signed on for two more years at Bengaluru FC. The city is home now, and the people at this club are like family to me. It feels like just yesterday that I signed for the first time, and I have to say the journey has been nothing short of special. I love this club, the supporters and the city, all three of which I have a strong bond. I am looking forward to being part of many more great moments with them,” said Sunil Chhetri, after completing formalities for the extension.
We have got Chhetri, Sunil Chhetri. #Chhetri2023 pic.twitter.com/7oDixxF3QQ
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) June 20, 2021
Chhetri had led the Bengaluru team to their first league title in 2013. Since then, he has won five more trophies for the club — Federation Cup in 2015 and 2017; Indian Super League in 2018 and 2019; and Super Cup in 2018. Chhetri was conferred with the Padma Shri title, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour in 2019, and named Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Icon in 2018.
“Sunil has been an integral part of this club since day one. We all know what he, as a player, brings to the team. But his presence as a leader has been equally crucial to us, and especially to the youngsters coming through the ranks. He is a role model, and his influence and application have been paramount to our success. Over the last eight years, he has made this city his home and we are really happy that he has committed his future to Bengaluru FC,” said Mandar Tamhane, Bengaluru FC CEO, said in the statement.