ATK

ATK were the most successful club in the history of the Indian Super League before their 2020 merger with Mohun Bagan, winning three ISL championships in a six-year existence that transformed professional football in Kolkata. Born in 2014 as Atletico de Kolkata with backing from Atletico Madrid, they brought Spanish football culture to the Salt Lake Stadium and gave Indian football its first taste of genuinely elite club management. Luis Garcia led the charge in that first title-winning campaign and became a hero of the Indian game. Founded in 2014 as Atletico de Kolkata and rebranded as ATK in 2017, the club competed at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, one of the world's largest football venues. Key honours include three ISL championships (2014, 2016, 2019-20). The club merged with Mohun Bagan in 2020 to form ATK Mohun Bagan, preserving their legacy in a powerful new form. Red and white stripes were ATK's colours, inspired by their founding connection with Atletico Madrid, and they made a striking visual statement in Indian football. The five-star lion-phoenix crest on the chest told the story of five founding owners and the ambition they brought to Kolkata. The title-winning kits of 2014 carry historic significance as the shirts worn in the very first ISL season, when Luis Garcia lifted the trophy and announced this new competition to the world.