Pune FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Pune Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Red Lizards | |||
| Short name | PFC | |||
| Founded | 21 July 2007 | |||
| Dissolved | 2016 | |||
| Ground | Balewadi Stadium Pune, Maharashtra |
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| Capacity | 10,900 | |||
| Owner | Piramal Group | |||
| League | I-League | |||
| 2014–15 | I-League, 5th of 11 | |||
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Pune Football Club was a professional football team from Pune, Maharashtra, in India. They played in the I-League, which was the top football league in India at the time.
Pune FC was known for being one of the most professional clubs in Indian football. They focused on creating a great experience for fans. They also had a strong setup for players and worked hard to develop young talent. The club was owned by the Ashok Piramal Group.
Pune FC started in 2007. They quickly moved up to the I-League in 2009. In their first I-League season, they finished in a surprising third place. Their best season was in 2012–13, when they finished second.
Pune FC had a big rivalry with Mumbai FC. Their matches were called the Maha derby. The club stopped playing in the I-League in 2015. It officially closed down in 2016. The Pune F.C. Academy was taken over by another club, FC Pune City.
Contents
History of Pune FC
How the Club Started
In 2007, Indian football was changing. The new I-League was replacing the older National Football League. But it was hard to find new investors for clubs. This was especially true outside of places like West Bengal and Goa. Clubs in these areas struggled to make a profit.
The Ashok Piramal Group, based in Maharashtra, decided to try something different. The city of Pune did not have a long history with football. Cricket was much more popular there. But the Ashok Piramal Group still created Pune Football Club in 2007.
This club was special because it was one of the first in India named after its city. This showed they wanted to represent Pune. The club also played in the TFA Shield tournament.
Climbing to the I-League (2008–2009)
For their first season in the I-League 2nd Division, Pune FC signed many new players. They also hired Stewart Hall as their first head coach. During the 2008 season, they changed coaches to Bernard McNally. The club finished third in their group and did not move forward.
In 2009, the I-League was going to get bigger. This meant four teams could get promoted from the 2nd Division. Pune FC brought back coach Stewart Hall. They also made many changes to their team. Pune FC finished fourth that season. They won their last game 3–0 against SESA Football Academy. This win earned them promotion to the I-League for the first time!
Early Success and Coach Derrick Pereira (2009–2013)
Pune Football Club's first season in the I-League was 2009–10. They chose the Balewadi Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune, as their home stadium. Before the season, they made big news. They signed Subrata Pal, India's number one goalkeeper, and Japanese midfielder Arata Izumi.
They also hired Derrick Pereira as their new head coach. Pereira had won the National Football League and Federation Cup with his old club. Pune FC played their first I-League match on October 3, 2009. It was a 0–0 draw against East Bengal. They got their first I-League win on January 9, 2010, beating JCT 2–1. Pune finished third in the league that season. This was a great success after their slow start.
The summer of 2011 was very important for Pune FC. On June 23, they announced they would start the Pune F.C. Academy. This made them the first I-League team with their own academy. On July 25, their Brazilian striker Edmar Figueira joined a top Portuguese team. This was the first time an I-League player moved to a top European league.
Then, on September 26, 2011, Pune FC announced a friendly match against English Premier League team Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn Rovers was owned by Indian owners. This made Pune FC the first Indian club to play a friendly against an English Premier League team. The match was on October 7, 2011, and Pune lost 0–3.
Pune FC also partnered with the IT company Infosys to promote the club. On June 11, 2012, Pune FC became the first Indian football team to make a player transfer between two I-League clubs. They sold midfielder Lester Fernandez to Prayag United.
The club had its best I-League season in 2012–13. They finished in second place, just behind Churchill Brothers S.C.
The Mike Snoei Era (2013–2014)
After the 2012–13 season, coach Derrick Pereira left Pune FC. The club quickly signed a new coach, Mike Snoei from the Netherlands. The club's director, Nandan Piramal, said they would focus on developing young players. They would also mix these young players with experienced senior players.
Pune FC signed new foreign players like Calum Angus and James Meyer. They also signed Raúl Fabiani, who played for Equatorial Guinea's national team.
The club played in the 2013 Durand Cup. They sent a mix of first-team and academy players. They did not make it out of the group stages. Pune then played their first I-League match under Snoei on September 21, 2013. They won 3–1 against Mohammedan, with goals from Fabiani and Meyer.
On January 29, 2014, Pune FC played their first international club match. They faced Vietnamese team Hanoi T&T in the 2014 AFC Champions League qualifier. Pune lost 3–0, which meant they would play in the 2014 AFC Cup instead.
In the 2014 Durand Cup, Pune lost 1–0 to Salgaocar SC in the final. They finished as runners-up. A month later, Pune FC played in the 2014 Bhutan King's Cup. They reached the final but lost 1–0 to Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club from Bangladesh.
Rivalry with Mumbai FC
Pune FC had a big rivalry with another club from Maharashtra, Mumbai FC. Their matches were known as the "Maha derby." These two teams played against each other every year in competitions like the I-League.
Why the Club Closed Down
Pune FC had a great season in 2012–13, finishing as runners-up. But in May 2015, before the 2015–16 I-League season, the club closed down. This was due to money problems.
However, their academy was bought by FC Pune City, a team from the ISL. On August 26, 2016, it was officially announced that FC Pune City had taken over the Pune FC Academy. They would rename it under their own club's name.
Home Stadium
Since joining the I-League, Pune FC always played their home games at the Balewadi Sports Complex. This stadium is in Balewadi, a part of Pune. The stadium also hosted the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. Pune FC used this stadium for big international games too, like the AFC Cup.
The club also had its own training ground outside Pune, in an area called Mamurdi. For one season, they trained at the St. Vincent's High School football ground in Pune.
Club Ownership
Pune FC was owned by the Ashok Piramal Group. Nandan Piramal, who was the CEO of Peninsula Land Limited, was the last chairman of the club.
Youth Academy
Since 2007, Pune FC had youth teams for players under 19 and under 17. On June 23, 2011, they announced they would open an Academy for players under 20. This made them the first I-League team to have such an academy. Their academy teams later played in the U19 I-League. The academy was officially called Peninsula Pune Football Club Academy (PPFCA).
Notable Players
Many talented players played for Pune FC during its history. Some of them were from India, while others came from different countries around the world. These players helped the club achieve its successes in the I-League and other tournaments.
Club Achievements
Domestic Competitions
- I-League
- Runners-up (1): 2012–13 (Finished 2nd)
- Third Place (1): 2009–10
- Durand Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2014 (Finished 2nd)
International Tournaments
Bhutan King's Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2014 (Finished 2nd)
Youth Team Achievements
- U17 Team
- Football Challenge Cup Chandigarh
- Winners (1): 2015
- U20 Team
- I-League U20
- Champions (2): 2012, 2013
Playing in Asian Competitions
Pune FC also played in important Asian club competitions:
- AFC Champions League: They played once in 2014 in a qualifying round.
- AFC Cup: They played once in 2014 in the group stage.
Images for kids
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Mike Snoei was the manager of Pune F.C. during the 2013–2014 season.
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In Spanish: Pune Football Club para niños
- Pune F.C. Academy
- Football clubs in Maharashtra
- Sports in Maharashtra
- Indian football clubs in Asian competitions
