Real Kashmir F.C.
Real Kashmir Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar under licence from All India Football Federation (AIFF). Jammu and Kashmir, Real Kashmir is the first team from Kashmir to compete in I-League,[2] the first division of football in India.[3][4] The club participated in their first national competition in September 2016 when they played in the 2016 Durand Cup.[5] In July 2017 Real Kashmir FC became the first club from J&K to play on foreign soil by playing 4 matches in Scotland. Real Kashmir FC is participating in all four categories of the AIFF.
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| Full name | Real Kashmir Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Snow Leopards Sheeni Seh[1] | ||
| Founded | 2016 | ||
| Ground | TRC Turf Ground (Present) Bakshi Stadium (Under Construction) | ||
| Capacity | 10,000 | ||
| Owner | Sandeep Chattoo | ||
| Head Coach | David Robertson | ||
| League | I-League | ||
| 2019–20 | 3rd | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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In May 2018, Real Kashmir FC earned promotion to 2018-19 I-League by winning the 2017-18 I-League 2nd Division after defeating Hindustan FC in the final game of the season by a score of 3–2.
History
On 30 May 2018 Real Kashmir FC became champions of 2017-18 I-League 2nd Division after defeating Hindustan FC in the final game of the season by a score of 3–2. This was only their 2nd season in the 2017-18 I-League 2nd Division after its inception in the year 2016 and they earned promotion to 2018-19 I-League.
In August 2018, the Real Kashmir FC youth team travelled to Germany for pre-season training with one of the best football clubs in the world: Borussia Dortmund (BVB). The youth team visited the training centers where official BVB teams train. They also visited the famous BVB stadium Westfalenstadion.
Stadium
Real Kashmir FC are currently using TRC Turf Ground as their home ground until the renovation of Bakshi Stadium.
In the 2019–20 I-League season, they might play their home matches at Bakshi Stadium, which is right now under construction.
Worldwide Attention
Real Kashmir have received international acclaim following their participation in a BBC documentary called "Real Kashmir FC" that followed the team and their Scottish manager David Robertson.[6]
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
— Dave Thomas, MD Adidas India, expressed on a positive future with RKFC[7]
On 22 October 2018, Adidas India announced its official partnership with Real Kashmir Football Club, the first football team from the Kashmir valley to qualify for the country's top tier I-League. Beginning with the 2018–2019 I-league season, Adidas became the official kit partner for the club. Also, beyond kit sponsorship, Adidas India aims at redefining the ‘Real’ Kashmir through the lens of sports and becoming a proponent of changing lives in Kashmir through football.[8][7]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–2018 | None | The Kashmir Monitor |
| 2018–present | Adidas | J&K Bank |
Current squad
- As of 4 December 2019
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current technical staff
- As of 28 July 2017
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  |
| Assistant coach | |
| Goalkeeping coach | |
| Team manager |  |
| Team Physio | |
Team records
Record
| Season | Div. | Tms. | Pos. | Attendance/G | Federation Cup/Super Cup | Durand Cup | AFC Champions League | AFC Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | I-League 2nd | 12 | G3 | 600 | DNP | Group stage | DNP | DNP |
| 2017–18 | I-League 2nd | 18 | 1 | 2,109 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 2018–19 | I-League | 11 | 3 | 11,206 | Round of 16 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 2019–20 | I-League | 11 | – | Semi Final | DNP | DNP |
- Attendance/G = Average league attendance
Seasons
- As of 3 March 2019
| Year | League | Federation Cup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos. | ||
| 2016–17 | I-League 2nd Division | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PR | — |
| 2017–18 | I-League 2nd Division | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 29 | Champions | — |
| 2018–19 | I-League | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 14 | 36 | 3rd | — |
PR: Preliminary Round
Top scorer
- As of 30 May 2018
| Season | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 |  |
4 |
| 2017–18 | |
4 |
| 2018–19 | |
3 |
Head coach's record
updated on 19 February 2020
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Robertson | |
2016 | Present | 54 | 28 | 14 | 12 | 72 | 46 | 51.85 |
Honours
league
Friendly Cup
- Kashmir Invitational Cup 2018
Past and present internationals
Names in bold indicate players who had international appearances for their countries while playing for Real Kashmir.
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India
Asia North America
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Africa
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References
- "Real Kashmir fc nicknamed the snow leopard or sheenishe in local tongue". twitter.com. Real Kashmir F.C. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- "Real Kashmir all set for I-League debut". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- "I-League 2nd Division Fixtures". The Indian League. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- "Real Kashmir makes history after booking I-League berth". espn.in. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- Ghosh, Sayan (7 November 2016). "Real Kashmir FC like a whiff of fresh air in troubled Valley". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- "BBC iPlayer - Real Kashmir FC". Bbc.co.uk. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- "Adidas India and Real Kashmir Football Club Announce Official Partnership". www.sportskeeda.com. sportskeeda. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- "A true story TheRealKashmir FC supported by adidas". www.youtube.com. Real Kashmir FC. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
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