Rajasthan United FC

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Rajasthan United
Full nameRajasthan United Football Club
Nickname(s)Desert Warriors[1]
Short nameRUFC
Founded2018; 6 years ago (2018)
(as Jaipur Engineering College and Research Centre CF)
GroundBarkatullah Khan Stadium
Capacity30,000
OwnerR.U.F.C. Sports Private Limited
Head coachPushpender Kundu
LeagueI-League
2023–24I-League, 11th of 13
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Rajasthan United Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Founded in 2018 as JECRC CF, the academy team participated in inaugural edition of R-League A Division in 2019, and clinched the title. In 2020, JECRC CF was rebranded as Rajasthan United.[2] The club is currently competing in the I-League, the second tier of Indian football league system.[3]

Rajasthan United won the 2021 I-League Qualifiers and thus became the first ever club from the state to qualify for the I-League.[4][5]

History[edit]

Rajasthan United FC is the premier professional football club based in Jaipur. The club was founded in 2018 by an engineering student Kamal Singh Saroha, with his colleagues and friends as JECRC CF (Jaipur Engineering College and Research Centre), and re-branded as Rajasthan United in 2020,[2][6] after the introduction of Rajat Mishra and Swapnil Dhaka as the co-founders.[7] In its first year of inception, they managed to win the R-League A Division.[8][9] In the second season, United came out as runners-up and earned a spot for the I-League qualifiers.

Players and personnel of Rajasthan United at the New Bengaluru Football Stadium in Karnataka, during I-League Qualifiers in 2021.

In collaboration with Witty International School, they set up its residential football academy in Bhilwara.[10] In 2021, United were crowned champions of the I-League Qualifiers, thus becoming the first club from Rajasthan to qualify for the I-League.[11][12][13] In December, the club appointed Spanish manager Francesc Bonet as new head coach.[14][15]

Rajasthan United player (in red), in action against Aizawl on a matchday of I-League, at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in March 2022.

On 26 December 2021, they made their I-League debut against RoundGlass Punjab with only nine players, in which they were defeated by 2–0. United later roped in former La Liga player Mauro dos Santos of Argentina.[16] The club reached championship stage of 2021–22 I-League and ended their campaign as sixth in league table.[17]

Rajasthan United began their 2022–23 season campaign at the 131st edition of Durand Cup[18][19] on 20 August with a magnificent 3–2 win against Indian Super League side ATK Mohun Bagan.[20] The club moved to the quarter-finals, defeating Indian Navy in the final group game, but was eliminated losing 3–1 to Hyderabad at the end.[21] In November, the club reached final of Baji Rout Cup in Odisha, in which they clinched title defeating Churchill Brothers in penalty shootout.[22][23] When the 2022–23 I-League began, the club again faced Churchill Brothers in their first match, and earned three points with 2–1 win.[24] In December, the club participated in Dausa Gold Cup in Rajasthan,[25] in which they finished as runners-up after 1–0 defeat to FC Kerala.[26]

Stadiums[edit]

Rajasthan United FC uses Rajasthan University Sports Complex in Jaipur as their home ground, and sometimes the Witty Sports Club ground.[27] In October 2022, the club announced that they will use Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi for matches of 2022–23 I-League, as the traditional home and away games format was reinstalled.[28] Before 2021, in few matches of the state league, they used Sawai Mansingh Stadium.[29]

In April 2023, Rajasthan United announced that the club will use Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur in the 2023–24 I-League season.[30]

Crest, colours & kits[edit]

Ravi Kumar Punia in official club kit of Rajasthan United in 2021

The club's crest features historical monuments of Rajasthan, Maharana Pratap and Thar desert in background with R.U.F.C. monogram.[31] It symbolises rich and royal culture and heritage of Rajasthan.

Kit manufacturer and shirt sponsors[edit]

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2019–2020 AIO Sports[32] Fire1on1[33]
2021 MISTK
2021–2022 Ambition Sportswear Purnima University[34]
2022–2023 Omtex Sports[35]
2023–present AIO Sports[36] AU Small Finance Bank

Players[edit]

First-team squad[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK India IND Sachin Jha
3 DF India IND Suraj Negi
4 DF India IND Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw
5 DF India IND Amritpal Singh
6 MF India IND Gou Kuki
8 MF India IND Zoma Vanlalzahawhma
9 MF India IND Ragav Gupta
11 MF India IND William Neihsial
12 GK India IND Anant Shah
13 MF India IND Jacob John Kattookaren
14 MF India IND Abinash Raul
15 DF India IND Novin Gurung
16 MF India IND Jirjar Terang
17 MF India IND Lalchungnunga Chhangte (on loan from Hyderabad)
18 MF Ghana GHA Ibrahim Moro
19 DF India IND Sairuat Kima
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 FW India IND Yash Tripathi
21 FW India IND Siddharth Bapodra
22 FW Ghana GHA Richardson Denzell
23 FW India IND Syed Suhail Pasha
25 MF India IND Moirangthem Ronaldo Singh
26 DF India IND Lalbiakzuala
27 DF Brazil BRA Jefferson Oliveira
31 GK India IND Bhabindra Malla Thakuri
42 GK India IND Gaurav Kumar Singh
44 MF India IND Zothanpuia
66 MF India IND Lalhunmawia Chhakchhuak
77 DF India IND Mohit Singh Verito
93 DF India IND Hardik Bhatt (captain)
99 FW Croatia CRO Marin Mudrazija
— MF India IND Lalremruata HP

Out on loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW India IND Lalremsanga Fanai (at Mohammedan until 31 May 2024)
— DF India IND Gautam Virwani (at SC Bengaluru until 31 May 2024)

Personnel[edit]

Current technical staff[edit]

As of 14 September 2022
Role Name Refs.
Head coach India Pushpender Kundu
Assistant coach India Prashant J Singh
Technical Director Italy Alexander Garini
Strength and conditioning coach India Pushpendra Singh
Goalkeeping coach India Joel Prabhakar Raj
Physio India Ashwin Kumar P.
Team manager India Nikhil Shetty

Records and statistics[edit]

Overall records[edit]

As of 3 April 2023
Season Division Teams Position Avg. attendance Super Cup Durand Cup AFC Champions League AFC Cup
2021 I-League 2nd Division 9 1st 🔒 Closed Doors

▼

Did not participate

▼

Did not participate

▼

Did not qualify

▼

Did not qualify

▼

2021–22 I-League 13 6th
2022–23 12 9th 1,369 Qualifying-playoff Quarter-finals

Season by season[edit]

As of 8 January 2024
⭐ Top scorer in division
🇮🇳 Top Indian scorer in division
Season League Finals Super Cup Other competitions Top scorer(s)
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Durand Cup Player(s) Goals
2021 I-League 2nd Division 6 3 3 0 8 4 12 Champions — Did not participate

▼

Did not participate

▼

India Sukhjit Singh
India Aman Thapa 		2
2021–22 I-League 18 5 7 6 16 16 22 6th — Uzbekistan Sardor Jakhonov
India Alocious Muthayyan
Spain Pedro Manzi
India Pritam Singh 		3
2022–23 22 7 4 11 19 32 25 9th — Qualifying-playoff Quarter-finals Kyrgyzstan Aidar Mambetaliev 4
2023–24* 11 3 3 5 21 27 12 10th — Qualifier Group stage Ghana Richardson Denzell 10

Managerial record[edit]

As of 8 January 2024
Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win% Ref.
Vikrant Sharma  India 2020 2021 6 3 3 0 8 4 050.00 [37]
Francesc Bonet  Spain 2021 2022 18 5 7 6 16 16 027.78 [7]
Pushpender Kundu  India 2022 till now 43 13 10 20 51 78 030.23 [1]

Notable players[edit]

See also: Category:Rajasthan United FC players

Past and present internationals[edit]

The players below have senior/youth international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for Rajasthan United.[38]

Honours[edit]

League[edit]

Cup[edit]

RUFC youth[edit]

Youth football is practiced in Rajasthan United FC, and their U17 team for the first time, took part in the 2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup in January 2023.[55][56] The club launched a residential football academy in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, in 2021, collaborating with Poornima University.[57][58] The academy of Rajasthan United gained an 'elite category' accreditation by the All India Football Federation in December 2023.[59]

Honours

  • Rajasthan U-17 Senior Open Tournament
    • Runners-up (1): 2022–23[60]

Affiliated club(s)[edit]

The following club is currently affiliated/associated with Rajasthan United FC:

  • India Kohima Town Club (2022–present)[61]

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ The tournament is known fully as "All India Late Captain Pratap Singh Memorial Football Tournament; The Reserve team of Rajasthan United FC finished as runner-up in 2023

References[edit]

Cited sources

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Further reading

External links[edit]

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