Mumbai City FC have announced that Head Coach Des Buckingham will leave the Islanders with immediate effect. The 38-year-old Englishman has made the decision to pursue an opportunity back home in the United Kingdom with an EFL League One club.
Buckingham joined Mumbai City in 2021 and led them to the ISL League Winners’ Shield in an emphatic fashion.
Des leaves Mumbai City FC as the Club’s longest serving Head Coach (72 games) and the youngest coach to win an ISL League Shield, winning the league title in the 2022-23 season while breaking 17 all-time ISL records along the way.
Des also led Mumbai City to AFC Champions League history in 2022 as the Islanders became the first Indian club to win a game in Asia’s premier club football competition, finishing an unprecedented second in their group.
Taking to his social media handle he wrote..
To my fellow Mumbaikars,
Yesterday marked the end of a wonderful journey as Head Coach of Mumbai City FC. We achieved so much together, making history and many special memories along the way. All the way from securing India’s first-ever wins in the AFC Champions League in 2022 to lifting the ISL League Shield together last season. More importantly, the way we were able to achieve these milestones – playing some of the most exciting, free-flowing and high-scoring football – has been a pleasure to watch from the sidelines.
Thank you to everyone across India for such a positive experience and to our incredible fans, staff and players at Mumbai City FC for the unwavering support and passion throughout my time here.
The time has come to move on and pursue an opportunity close to my heart back home, but I will always be a Mumbai City fan and I look forward to visiting the MFA again soon to thank you all in person.
Until then, मंडळी!
Des
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Mumbai City are currently positioned at an impressive fourth place in the ISL without a loss in five matches.
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