Delhi United FC
Delhi United FC (formerly Delhi United Soccer Club)[2] is an Indian professional football club based in New Delhi,[3] that competes in the FD A-Division.[4] They play most of their home games at Ambedkar Stadium. The club was established in 1995. They have previously participated in the 2012 Durand Cup.[5]
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| Full name | Delhi United Football Club[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Delhi-Red | ||
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| Ground | Ambedkar Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 35,000 | ||
| Owner | United Soccer Pvt. Ltd. | ||
| Chairman | Krishnanand Tripathi | ||
| Head coach | Ayush Bhuttan | ||
| League | FD A-Division | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
Delhi United Football Club, earlier named as Gorkha Heroes, was founded in 1995 by Lal Bahadur Basnet. The club is affiliated with Football Delhi (formerly known as Delhi Soccer Association).[6] Gorkha Heroes were playing in lower division of DSA League till 2007, until B. S. Mehra took over the club management. In 2007, Gorkha Heroes became champions of B Division without losing a single match, and got promoted to A Division. Their superb form continued as they were crowned overall champions in 2008–09, keeping unbeaten record intact.
In 2009, the name was changed to Delhi United FC. In Senior Division 2009–10 season, they defeated City FC with a score of 13–0 in a match which is still the highest scoring game in Delhi's top flight. In 2010–11, the club focused its attention to I-League 2nd Division and strengthened their squad by signing some top Delhi players. Their hard work finally paid off and they became champions of the Senior Division by defeating Shahdara FC in final with a score of 3–2.
Delhi United gave the best performance in Durand Cup 2012 by qualifying for quarterfinals by defeating Indian Navy and Army Greens in qualifying rounds.
Winning the Senior Division finally confirmed their participation in I-League 2nd Division for the 2012–13 campaign. They performed well in the I-League’s second tier and were the best team from North India.
Delhi United again participated in I-League 2nd Division in 2016–17 season, and secured third spot in the final round. In April 2017, Shaji Prabhakaran was appointed president, and then served as director of the club.[7][8] Ahead of the 2017–18 I-League 2nd Division season, they roped in Portuguese manager Hugo Martins.[9] Their campaign ended in the Group stages after finishing fourth with 9 points.[10]
I-League
On 21 September 2018, it was revealed that both Mumbai FC and Delhi United FC had submitted documents for direct-entry into the I-League.
On 27 January 2020, a Delhi based fan club of former Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos, Dynamos Ultras were handed over operational activities of the club.[11] Aditya Raghav was appointed as the new team manager, and Ayush Bhuttan was appointed as the new head coach. Under the new management, club played 3 matches, before season was put on hold due to coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
Stadium
Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi used to be the clubs' home ground for the DSA Senior Division. It has also hosted I-League 2nd Division matches for the club.[12] It has a capacity of 30,000 spectators.
Players
First team squad
- As of 1 March 2020[13]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2020—2021 | Astro | Dynamos Ultras |
Current staff
- As of 9 February 2020[14]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner |  Krishnanand Tripathi |
| Head coach | Ayush Bhuttan |
| Team manager | Aditya Raghav |
| Technical director | Varun Batra |
Honours
- I-League 2nd Division
- Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2007[17]
See also
References
- "Football Delhi Senior Division League: All clubs". footballdelhi.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- Chaudhuri, Arunava (5 March 2013). "Mumbai's Kenkre FC name squad for 2nd Division I-League". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "एनआरटीले विदेशी कोटामा भित्र्यायो ३ क्यामरुनी र २ भारतीय खेलाडी" [NRT has brought in 3 Cameroonian and 2 Indian players in the foreign quota]. sabaikhel.com (in Nepali). 20 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- "Delhi Senior Division League". Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- "International Journal of Yoga, Physiotherapy and Physical Education". Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- Josh, Sumit (8 May 2018). "Football Delhi: A Complete Revival of The Game in The Capital". Thequint. The Quint. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- "Interview: Shaji Prabhakaran ventures into his latest project – Delhi United FC". validate.perfdrive.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- Mullick, Sudipto (11 September 2017). "Interview: Shaji Prabhakaran ventures into his latest project – Delhi United FC". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- "Hugo Martins named Delhi United Football Club coach". Business Standard India. 1 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- "Delightful Neroca Desperate To Break Second Division Jinx". i-league.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- "Dynamos Ultras, Defunct-Delhi Dynamos Supporter Group, to Manage Delhi United FC". News18. 9 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- 2nd Division I-league: Delhi United and Pune City reserves play out 3-3 draw Archived 4 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine Goal.com. Retrieved 4 September 2021
- "Delhi United FC on Instagram: "Our squad for the ongoing DSA Senior Division. #DelhiUnited #DynamosUltras #FootballDelhi #DUFC"".
- "The Management & Members−Delhi United SC". delhiunitedfc.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- "Hugo Martins named Delhi United Football Club coach". Business Standard India. 1 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- "Delightful Neroca Desperate To Break Second Division Jinx". i-league.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- Schöggl, Hans (11 June 2023). "Tibet — GCMGC Gold Cup Winners". rsssf.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
