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The Indian Super League is gaining traction. With millions of fans on a casual day and a
billion based in India alone, the potential for growth is huge. Plus, the model is based on the
Indian Premier League's success, the ISL's billion-dollar cousin that is viewed as the most
competitive cricket competition globally.
Like the IPL, a Mumbai-based team is among the biggest marquee franchises.
Mumbai City FC
may have only been around for six years, yet the club is trying to make up for lost time.
Here's what you need to know about Mumbai's newest team.
2014
In 2014, the All India Football Federation, the National Federation for Football in India, and
IMG-Reliance announced the arrival of the Indian Super League. Cities would have to bid for
a franchise, and the leaders of Mumbai's club duly decided they would bring top-class
football to India's second city.
With the likes of Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh, an accountant, Mumbai
City FC not only had the star power but plenty of financial backing. Kapoor alone had a net
worth of 450 million rupees in 2019, according to
Forbes India.
The bid was accepted, and Mumbai went on to sign the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Freddie
Ljungberg for the 2014 season. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the franchise finished 7th
out of 8 and failed to qualify for the inaugural play-offs.
Alexandre Guimarães & Jorge Costa
Anelka took charge of the team’s 2015 season but couldn't provide the results Mumbai's
fanbase craved and was replaced in 2016 by Brazilian Alexandre Guimarães. With
Guimarães at the helm and signings such as Diego Forlan, the club qualified for the play-offs
– Forlan scored the competition's first-ever hat-trick – and faced Atletico de Kolkata in the
semis. Even though they lost, the appetite for football increased as it was the only time
Mumbai had managed to make it into the last four.
However, a poor season meant that Guimarães was sacked and replaced by Portuguese
Jorge Costa for 2018/19. Again, Mumbai made it to the semi-finals and had to bow out,
losing emphatically to FC Goa.
Where Are They Now?
Costa was fired after the 2019/20 season when the franchise finished 5th and couldn't
compete for the ISL title. However, even though Mumbai FC hasn't managed to capture any
titles, there is plenty of excitement among the islanders.
This is down to the investment made by
City Football Group (CFG), which now owns 65% of
the club. Kapoor and Parekh have the other 35% stake. English football fans will be familiar
with CFG as the Emirati owners of Manchester City who brought Pep Guardiola to the club
and some of the greatest football ever played in the country. As a result, Mumbai's fans are
desperate to see if the group can do the same for them.
Currently, the signs are good as City has snapped up Hugo Boumous, the hero of the
2019/20 season, and are in talks to capture the signing of Hernan Santana from Sporting
Gijon. And while rumors of Messi coming to the ISL were very premature, it's clear that the
presence of CFG's brand should only propel Mumbai City FC to the next stage – winning the
title and fulfilling their potential.