Best Finish: Semi-finalists (2016, 2018-19)
Head Coach: Sergio Lobera
Mumbai City FC might have narrowly missed out on a playoff spot in the last edition of the ISL but fans will have high hopes from the club as they begin a new chapter under the City Football Group this time. That's not the only reason for their excitement though.
Former FC Goa head coach Sergio Lobera has been roped in as well to head the proceedings at the club, and he will be expected to bring the same success to Mumbai City as he did for the Gaurs during his stint with them in the last three seasons.
How did Mumbai City FC fare in the last ISL season?
Mumbai City FC looked well on course to make it to the semifinals last time but heartbreaking losses in their last two league stage matches threw them out of the playoff race. They finished in the fifth spot with 26 points, just three points behind fourth-placed Chennaiyin FC, and the major cause for their undoing can be attributed to their inability to score enough goals.
Jorge Costa and his men could accumulate just 25 goals in their league campaign last year, which was four goals lesser than what they conceded and also, the fourth-lowest number of goals scored among all teams.
How is the Mumbai City FC squad shaping up for this season?
Sergio Lobera has completely revamped the Mumbai City squad since his arrival. He has brought most of his preferred first-choice players at FC Goa with him to this club. He brought the likes of Mandar Rao Desai, Ahmed Jahouh and Mourtada Fall on a free transfer to Mumbai whereas Hugo Boumous (11 goals and 10 Assists for FC Goa last season) was brought at a record transfer fee of ₹1.6 crores as well.
Lobera's work in the transfer market doesn't end there as he has brought two active overseas forwards like Cy Goddard and Adam Le Fondre from the A-League as well. Le Fondre, in particular, comes with a big reputation. He has not only played in the English Premier League but has also won the A-League twice.
Add to that their talented Indian contingent of players like Raynier Fernandes, Mohammad Rakip, Mehtab Singh, Farukh Choudhary, Rowlin Borges among others and Mumbai looks like a formidable side on paper.
Mumbai City's expectations from the 2020/21 season
Mumbai City have been in the semi-finals twice but haven't been able to make it to the final ever. But things are expected to be a lot different this time with a capable leader like Lobera at the helm and such a good roster of players at his expense. They have all the resources to be champions, and their potential is certainly there to see on paper. Now, they just need to translate that into results on the field.
Mumbai City FC squad
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Kunal Sawant, P Lachenpa
Defenders: Valpuia, Mourtada Fall, Mehtab Singh, Mandar Rao Desai, Thoi Singh, Mohammad Rakip, Sarthak Golui
Midfielders: Ahmed Jahouh, Naorem Tondonba Singh, P Rohlupuia, Hernan Santana, Raynier Fernandes, Bidyananda Singh, Rowlin Borges, Sourav Das, Hugo Boumous, Cy Goddard, Asif Khan
Forwards: Bipin Singh, Vignesh D, Farukh Choudhary, V Pratap Singh, Adam Le Fondre, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Pranjal Bhumij
