National U17 coach Bibiano Fernandes steps down, joins Bengaluru FC

Indian U-17 men's team coach Bibiano Fernandes stepped down from his post at the national team and joined Bengaluru FC as the coach of the reserves team on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old former midfielder, who hails from Mapusa in Goa, has joined on a three-year deal.

Bibiano, who turned out for Churchill Brothers, Dempo SC, Sporting Clube de Goa, and East Bengal, in a playing career that spanned over 15 years, led the India U15s to a SAFF Championship title in 2017 and in 2018, the India U16s reached the AFC U16 Championship quarterfinals under his reign.

Bibianp is credited with spotting the best talent and preparing three batches of young footballers who are making their mark slowly and steadily at the elite level.

Talking about his move to Bengaluru FC, Bibiano said," Bengaluru FC is the best club in India, and you can't argue with that. This is a model club in Indian football with a very strong structure and management, and it’s the best place to be for young players. I’m looking forward to working closely with the Head Coach of the first team and setting individual and team goals to help the players to achieve what I am sure they can. I intend to bring the best out of the players we have within our system,” said Bibiano after the completion of formalities on his deal.

The 2022 Durand Cup winners are known to have a robust youth system, with the likes of Sivasakthi Narayan and Naorem Roshan Singh already making a mark at the elite level.