Pep Muñoz sets out Bengaluru FC plans for 2026-27 ISL season

Bengaluru FC head coach Pep Muñoz outlined his plans for the 2026-27 Indian Super League season in an interview with Khel Now published on August 21, 2026, saying he has used a full pre-season to embed his game idea and prepare a squad blending experience and youth. He also discussed recruitment, the role of senior players, and his expectations for the campaign ahead.

Bengaluru entered last season in transition: Renedy Singh had taken charge before Muñoz arrived midway through the campaign, leaving the Spaniard limited time to implement his methods and make substantial changes to a squad assembled under a different approach. That interim period did give Muñoz a first look at the players and an initial understanding of managing Bengaluru FC in the ISL. With a full pre-season now complete, he has had the opportunity to work with the squad from the start, plan friendly matches and shape training weeks. The club’s roster has been adjusted, preserving experienced leaders while providing chances for younger academy graduates to establish themselves.

On what attracted him to the job, Muñoz said: “I think what drew me to Bengaluru FC was the identity that the club already had and the way they work with a mix of young players from the academy and experienced players in Indian football. I was also attracted by the supporters. They understand football and are always behind us, pushing us, and then there is the city as well. But, most importantly, it was about what we could build together here. It felt like a match between my football ideas and what the club wanted to offer its supporters.”

Reflecting on the extended preparation period, Muñoz explained how he has continued work begun at the end of last season and used this pre-season to refine the team’s style: “Yeah, as you said, it’s a long pre-season, but I take it in a positive way because we have a lot of weeks to work on our game idea. That was also a selling point when I came last season. I wanted to start this season, but I had already been working on this from last season to start working on that. So we also have to count the last two months of last season as part of our work on the game idea, along with this pre-season. We can work quite comfortably on that, with time and with the players that we have. They are progressing very well. I’m really happy to have this time, managing our friendly games and our training sessions the way we want, and planning our weeks of training. So yeah, it’s been a really, really good pre-season, and we hope we can see the results of this once the league begins.”

Muñoz highlighted the group’s physical condition and competitiveness after the light schedule the previous season, saying: “A lot of them have come back in very good physical condition. Last season was short for them, with only 13 games, and as footballers, what they normally want is to play games. So, in that sense, last season wasn’t long enough for them. They have come into this pre-season with a real ambition to train well, be competitive and be well prepared for when the league starts. What I really appreciate is how hungry they have been every day and how competitive they are. Everyone wants to fight for their position and put themselves in a position to be selected for the games when the league starts.”

Addressing squad composition and the integration of academy talent, Muñoz set out his selection principles and expectations for younger players: “I think, as a coach, this is exactly what we want, which is a blend of talent, experience and competitiveness. Part of my job is to make this squad as competitive as possible so that we can fight to win as many games as we can. We have young players from the academy who are talented, and this season they have to take another step forward. They are doing that during pre-season, and they are showing me that I can count on them. Normally, I don’t look at the age of a player, their nationality or anything else. I trust their work every day and what they show me on the pitch. That makes our squad stronger this season because the young players who were competitive and getting minutes last season now have the confidence to be part of the first team. We have players we can use from the beginning of games, and, as I said, we have two players for each position. That will make us very competitive this season.” He also named several academy graduates who have progressed into the senior group, citing Soham Varshneya, Vineeth Venkatesh, Shivaldo Singh, Kevin Singh and Ricky among those pushing for minutes.

Muñoz described the senior group’s contribution beyond matchdays, listing Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Chinglensana Singh and Nikhil Poojary as examples: “They are an example for the younger generation. The young players just have to look at what these players have achieved in their careers and what they are still doing, and how consistent they have been over the years. For me, it’s a pleasure to have these kinds of players in our dressing room because I see them training every day. But I also see how they are as people, how professional they are and how they take care of themselves both on and off the pitch. That is the best example for the young players we have, as well as for the players coming through our academy. I think this is also an extra motivation and an extra value that we have here. These players have represented the national team, but they are still competitive players who can contribute and play important minutes for us.”

On transfer business, Muñoz expressed satisfaction with three overseas recruits and the scouting process: “So far I’m very happy with our signings. We have gone through a very thorough scouting process to identify more or less the profiles that we wanted. Obviously, the market is still open and, as a big club, we are always open and ready to improve the squad. But I’m very happy with the additions of Sandro Embalo and Borja Martínez. Sandro is an experienced player and a leader in the back line. He is also very good in the build-up and brings valuable experience from Indonesia and other countries to strengthen our defence. Borja (Martinez) is a talented player who can play in different positions across the front. He can play on the left wing, the right wing and in more central positions, so we can use his talent in different ways. He is also very good at set plays, and the way he delivers them is really impressive. We also have Manuel De Iriondo, an Argentine midfielder who has joined us this season. He will bring experience to the midfield and can cover a lot of space. I’m very happy with these players. As I said, they will make us more competitive and help us to show the identity that we are building.”

Muñoz said he is keen to present the team’s style to supporters once competition starts and acknowledged the length and challenges of a league campaign: “First of all, we are very excited for the new season and to show our supporters our game idea and our style of play and to make them proud of us. We want them to see the effort we put into every game. We are really excited to play our first match, and especially our first game at home, to see them all again. We need them. Obviously, we want to win games and make them happy, but the season is long, and every season brings difficult moments as well. We know that we have the West Block Blues and all the supporters behind us because they are supporters who understand football. We are just excited to start the season and hopefully make them proud of us throughout the campaign.”