Founded: 31st August 2019
Owners: GMS Inc
Stadium: Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
Titles: 0
About
Odisha FC made its inroads to the Indian Super League in 2019 when the owner of erstwhile ISL franchise Delhi Dynamos decided to change the base to Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Delhi Dynamos was founded in 2014, but after incurring huge losses over the consequent five seasons they decided to shut shop and renamed the club to Odisha FC.
DEN Networks, who had won the rights of the club, no longer owns the club as GMS Inc is now the sole owner of the franchise. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Odisha FC, as they have failed to live up to the expectations so far.
They finished sixth in the 2019-20 season and came last in the last season of the Indian Super League. Despite their struggles, the Juggernauts have formed a partnership with English Premier League outfit Watford hoping that the joint venture will help in establishing a football infrastructure in Odisha and will help in the development of football in that region.
Odisha also added David Villa to their football committee which also consists of former managers Josep Gombau and Victor Onate. Villa is the head of the club’s global football operations and is trying to bring in his wealth of experience to the club.
Odisha FC: Results in Indian Super League
| Year | Result |
| 2019-20 | 6th |
| 2020-21 | 11th |
Odisha FC came 6th in the 2019-20 season but couldn’t carry the momentum into the next season as they finished bottom in the last season.
Odisha FC: Top Scorers in ISL
| Year | Player | Appearances | Goals |
| 2019-20 | Aridane | 14 | 9 |
| 2020-21 | Diego Mauricio | 20 | 12 |
Diego Mauricio rose through the ranks of Brazilian club Flamengo and has played with the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino. He was third in the golden boot list in the ISL 2020-21 season, only behind FC Goa’s Igor Angulo and ATK Mohun Bagan’s Roy Krishna.
Despite his team’s struggles he continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis. With Odisha FC scoring just 25 goals that season half of the goals came from Mauricio only.
Odisha FC: ISL 2021-22 Fixtures
| Date | Day | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
| November 24, 2021 | Wednesday | OFC vs Bengaluru FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| November 30, 2021 | Tuesday | OFC vs SC East Bengal | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 5, 2021 | Sunday | Kerala Blasters vs OFC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 10, 2021 | Friday | OFC vs NorthEast United FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 14, 2021 | Tuesday | OFC vs Jamshedpur FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 18, 2021 | Saturday | Chennaiyin FC vs OFC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 24, 2021 | Friday | OFC vs FC Goa | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| December 28, 2021 | Tuesday | Hyderabad FC vs OFC | Athletic Stadium, Bambolim | 7:30 PM IST |
| January 3, 2022 | Monday | OFC vs Mumbai City FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| January 8, 2022 | Saturday | ATK Mohun Bagan vs OFC | PJN Stadium, Fartorda | 7:30 PM IST |
| January 12, 2022 | Wednesday | OFC vs Kerala Blasters | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| January 18, 2022 | Tuesday | NorthEast United FC vs OFC | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| January 27, 2022 | Thursday | OFC vs Hyderabad FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 1, 2022 | Tuesday | FC Goa vs OFC | Bambolim Athletic Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 7, 2022 | Monday | SC East Bengal vs OFC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 13, 2022 | Sunday | OFC vs ATK Mohun Bagan | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 17, 2022 | Thursday | Bengaluru FC vs OFC | Bambolim Athletic Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 22, 2022 | Tuesday | Jamshedpur FC vs OFC | Bambolim Athletic Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| February 26, 2022 | Saturday | OFC vs Chennaiyin FC | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
| March 2, 2022 | Wednesday | Mumbai City FC vs OFC | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 7:30 PM IST |
Odisha FC: Squad for ISL 2021-22
Goalkeepers: Arshdeep Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Ravi Kumar
Defenders: Deven Sawhney, Gaurav Bora, Hector Ramirez, Hendry Antonay, Lalhrezuala Sailung, Lalruatthara, Nikhil Prabhu, Sahil Panwar, Victor Mongil, Sebastian Thangmuansang
Midfielders: Javier Hernandez, Isaac Chhakchhuak, Isak Vanlalruatfela, Liridon Krasniqi, Paul Ramfangzauva, Thoiba Singh
Forwards: Akshunna Tyagi, Aridai Suarez, CVL Remtluanga, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Jonathas Cristian, Nandhakumar Sekar, Nikhil Raj
Much to the surprise of everyone Odisha FC picked up Javi Hernandez from ATK Mohun Bagan on a free transfer in the summer. They also brought in the likes of Victor Mongil, Aridai Suarez and Hector Ramirez.
Arshdeep has remained the preferred choice in the goal after an impressive outing in the last season. They are defensively well backed up and Gaurav Bora could be seen as an important member of their backline.
Odisha will miss the service of Vinit Rai in the midfield who joined Mumbai City FC on loan for the rest of the season.
OFC: Interesting ISL stats
Odisha FC have the most number of defeats (53) so far in the ISL. They also have the longest losing streak in the 2017-18 season when they went on to lose six consecutive matches. They conceded the most number of goals in a season when they leaked 44 goals last season. Their goal difference of -19 is the worst for an ISL club in a single season so far.
OFC: Rivalries
There are no such rivals that Odisha FC currently have. But Jamshedpur FC could be counted as one given that the team hails from the neighbouring state. Both ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal also belong from the eastern region and thus their match with Odisha FC can be recalled as the East India derby of the Indian Super League.
Odisha FC vs Jamshedpur FC Head to Head
| Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied |
| 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
Odisha FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan Head to Head
| Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
Odisha FC vs SC East Bengal Head to Head
| Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Road Ahead for OFC
Odisha FC managed to forge some partnerships off the pitch to boost the club’s brand value. They also roped in Hummel as their kit manufacturer and it seemed they were in a position to finally challenge for the coveted ISL trophy.
But the team has struggled to see out games this time as they have managed just 4 wins so far. The arrival of Kiko Ramirez also saw some overhaul as the club witnessed the arrival of some young players and also a fresh lot of foreign players.
Jonathas Jesus replaced Diego Mauricio in front of the goal while Javi brought in the needed experience in the middle of the pitch. With only two years in the ISL, Odisha FC are looking to consolidate their position in the big league. They recently announced Kiba Inu as their new sponsor for the remaining period of the ongoing season and their off field activities could be the bedrock of their success in the near future.
