Bengaluru FC have pushed boundaries to script their story of success in the last decade. The Blues have won the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) in 2018-19 and have also won the Hero I-League, the Super Cup and the Federation Cup since their inception in 2014. The 2020-21 campaign that ended without any silverware is something they would look to change.

The Blues have hired German coach Marco Pezzaiuoli ahead of the 2021-22 season and will look to improve upon the seventh place finish last season where they registered only 5 wins in 20 matches.

The German has brought in an exciting pool of young talented Indian footballers in the transfer window, adding to the likes of Udanta Singh, and Suresh Singh Wangjam.

Moreover, the foreign players he has acquired seem to have a good mix of youth and experience.

Pezzaiuoli though has the know-how of managing in some of the top countries in Europe. He impressed during his time at Karlsruher SC, a second-division German club where he replaced Joachim Low, the ex German National Team head coach who had resigned from manager position in 2000, after which Pezzaiuoli was appointed as interim manager.

Stefan Kuntz, current Turkish National Team head coach, was named the head coach of Karlsruhe-based club next season. But a year later he parted ways with the club, and Pezzaiuoli was given a second stint as interim manager.

After completing his second stint, the German moved to South Korea in 2004 to take up the position of assistant coach at Suwon Samsung Bluewings, a top-tier club. He spent a season there, before returning to Germany in 2006 to manage SV Eintracht Trier 05, the then fourth-division club.

Later in the year Pezzaiuoli parted ways with Eintracht Trier and joined the youth setup of the country.  From 2007 to 2010, he coached the U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-18 sides of Germany.

In 2011, he was named the manager of TSG Hoffenheim but things didn’t work out for him and he left after a short spell. Three years later, he was appointed the head coach of Japanese top-tier club, Cerezo Osaka. A similar story followed as he was relieved of his duties within three months.

Pezzaiuoli was then elected as the director of Youth Development for Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande. In 2017, he moved back to Germany to take up the Technical Director position of Eintracht Frankfurt.

In India, Pezzaiuoli will have expectations on his shoulder but given the experience he has had till now, one would believe he has all the qualities to succeed and make Bengaluru FC a strong contender in the upcoming season.