Hero I League 2014-15 Champion Team
2010-11 was not so great season for mariners. Stanley Rozario was appointed as Head Coach. Mohun Bagan beat Dempo in the Fed Semi-final to reach the final but lost to arch rival East Bengal in the final 0-1. The final match was marred by the controversial decisions of cancelling goals of Asim Biswas and Muritala Ali.Mariners also lost the IFA Shield Final to Churchill Brothers.
2011-12 started with few key signings like Sunil Chetri, N P Pradeep, Rahim Nabi and most importantly megastar Odafa Okolie who was literally snatched from Churchill Brothers. Supporters again started dreaming. Mohun Bagan won Kolkata league derby 2-0 and first leg of I league derby 1-0 when Odafa Okolie scored from the spot. However the team finished 4th in the Ileague. It is worth mentioning that this was the last season for the best foreigner ever played for Mohun Bagan, Jose Ramirez Barreto. Supporter’s heartthrob, the driving force behind many memorable moments for Mohun Bagan, the star Brazilian had finished his long 11 years stint. His last match saw a huge emotional outbreak amongst fans.
In season 2012-13, Odafa Okolie has given the armband. A prolific striker, Tolgey Ozbe joined the flanks from East Bengal. Moroccan coach Karim Bencharifa was given the responsibility of the side under whom Mohun Bagan got the last major trophy, Fed Cup in 2008-09 season. But this time there was no major success under him, the team lost to East Bengal in the tiebreaker of IFA Shield semi final.
Odafa remained captain in 2013-14 as well. Young turks like Pritam Kotal, Souvik Ghosh had joined from Pailan Arrows. Japanese Yuta Katsumi had also joined the team whose brilliant goal against East Bengal in the Kolkata league derby had salvaged some joy for the supporters as Mohun Bagan failed to win the Kolkata League. Mohun Bagan lost to Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi from Bangladesh in the IFA Shield Semifinal. Haitian game maker Sony Norde scored an awesome freekick for the Bangladeshi side who had gone ahead to win the IFA Shield that year. In the Fed Cup, Mohun Bagan lost to Churchill Brothers in the semi final by 1-2.
Then came the memorable season of 2014-15 which will remain in every supporter’s heart forever. After 15 long years, the National Club of India had won the coveted I-league that season. The stage was set by Subhas Bhowmick who was initially appointed as a coach that season. He built the core team with the likes of Sony Norde, Pierre Boya, Balwant Singh, Jeje, Sehnaj and physical trainer Djair Miranda Garcia. Though the team lost to Pune FC in the semifinal of Kings Cup in Bhutan, there were glimpses of hope in trying times. After the Kings Cup, Sanjoy Sen had taken the charge and after an early exit in Fed Cup, the team started running like a well-oiled machine in I-league and went on winning each match at home except a draw against Lajong FC at Barasat. The spirited side beat the defending champions Bengaluru FC at YBK 4-1.
The last match of the season was a must win match for Bengaluru FC at Kanteerava stadium, the fortress of Bengaluru FC.Mohun Bagan needed a draw to lift the title. 31st May 2015 will remain a historic day for Mohun Bagan.Thousands of supporters flocked from all over India to gather in Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore. The match was highly intense, BFC was leading by John Johnson’s goal in the first half and it was started pouring heavily in the second half. Mariners had given everything and a late equaliser from Bello Razaq from the corner of Sony Norde had brought tears in the eyes of million mariners across the globe. It was a whole night long celebration in Bangalore and thousands of supporters gathered in Dumdum Airport the next day to welcome the heroes. It took almost 4 hours for the team to reach the club tent from the airport as the entire city was painted green and maroon.
On 22nd August 2015, 125th Birthday of Mohun Bagan was celebrated at Netaji Indoor Stadium where the I league winning team was felicitated. Arumainayagam was awarded prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna this year. Mohun Bagan was also leading the race for I-league title this season but lost the momentum in the last lap to become runners. Though they have won the Federation Cup in 2016 by beating Aizwal FC 5-0 in the final. This year mariners beat Tampines Rovers in the saltlake stadium by 3-1 to become the first team in India to win the 1st Round of AFC Champions League Play-off. Though the team has lost to mighty Shandong Luneng FC of China in the next round, it was a huge moment for mariners to play against the big names of world football like Diego Tardelli.
2016-17 was a repeat of last season where Mohun Bagan lost the I-league by a very narrow margin though they had beaten East Bengal twice, once in I-league at Siliguri and the other in Fed Cup semifinal in Cuttack. Though we have lost to Bengaluru FC in the Fed Cup Final.
2017-18 has seen a huge uplift in supporter’s interest while big giant screens were installed to watch Mohun Bagan matches. The mariners finished the Kolkata league in second spot due to lack of goal difference and became third in I-league in spite of winning both the derbies. In this season, Mohun Bagan hosted the first I-league match in Maidan at their own ground against Indian Arrows. From this year, Fed Cup was replaced by Super Cup by combining I-league and ISL teams which Mohun Bagan lost to Bengaluru FC in semfinal.
2018-19 Mohun Bagan won their 30th CFL title and remained unbeaten with 9 wins and 2 draws. In the I League Mariners started well but lost the momentum due to crucial injuries and finished 5th in the table.