New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Ending his eight-year association with the national team, India Under-17 head coach Bibiano Fernandes has joined Bengaluru FC Reserves in a similar capacity.

The 46-year-old helped the India U-16 and U-17 batches win three consecutive SAFF titles and to qualify for the AFC Championships three times in a row.

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Perhaps the most memorable moment for the Blue Colts under Fernandes came in the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship in Malaysia, where India finished second in Group C to book their spot in the quarter-finals -- needing one more win away from qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Vikram Partap Singh and co. came back with broken hearts, however, after a second-half strike from the Republic of Korea's Jeong Sang-bin meant a 0-1 defeat for India in the quarter-finals.

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"It was also a privilege to work with each and every player that was in our team across all the three batches, and I want to thank all of them for giving their all to the beautiful game," Bibiano said. "It has been an incredible experience."

Terming Bengaluru FC as a model club in Indian football, he said: "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. 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.

Bibiano turned out for Churchill Brothers, Dempo SC, Sporting Clube de Goa and East Bengal in a playing career that spanned over 15 years.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)