Mumbai City FC has confirmed that Amrinder Singh will leave the club after following the end of his contract. The 27-year old custodian will depart after five seasons with the 2020-21 Indian Super League Champions.
 
Amrinder, who initially joined the club on loan from Bengaluru FC, made his debut for Mumbai in a 0-0 draw against FC Goa in November 2016. Despite joining midway through the 2016 ISL campaign, the goalkeeper registered five clean sheets in six appearances, leading Mumbai City FC to their first ever ISL semi-final appearance, and made his way to the Golden Glove award in his debut season with the Islanders.
 
The Mahilpur-born goalkeeper was one of the major positives in Mumbai City's 2017-18 campaign, where they finished 7^th on the points table. His performances earned him a three-year extension in March 2018.
 
Amrinder Singh was named as one of the club’s captains by Jorge Costa in the 2018-19 campaign and led the Islanders to their second semi-final appearance in five seasons of the ISL, only to fall short of a place in the final once again.
 
On January 4, 2020, Amrinder created history by becoming the highest-capped player in the history of Mumbai City when he led the Islanders out against ATK at the Mumbai Football Arena, passing the record set earlier by Lucian Goian. The Islanders, however, missed out on consecutive semi-final appearances on the final day of the league later in the same campaign.

"Kabhi nahi bhool sakta, ye last paanch saal!"

| We caught up with Paaji for an emotional final interview with the club, as he relives his journey with #TheIslanders from his first training session to winning the unique 'double'! #ThankYouAmrinder #AamchiCity pic.twitter.com/Cf5COMKZY2

�?Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) May 31, 2021

Amrinder would soon play a crucial role in one of the most important seasons in the club’s history. He remained as one of the leaders of the side under incoming head coach Sergio Lobera in a highly successful 2020-21 season and was instrumental towards leading Mumbai City to first, the ISL League Winners�?Shield and then, the elusive ISL Trophy �?the first pieces of silverware in the club’s history.

“I came to this club five years ago as a boy, and now I leave as a man. I have learned so much about football and about life in my time at Mumbai City FC. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best players, the best coaches, and staff here in Mumbai,�?Amrinder said.

“This club is my family, and it's always tough to say goodbye to family. But I am proud that I can leave this family as a champion, winning our first ever trophies, and I will always hold Mumbai City close to my heart,�?he added.

Head coach Sergio Lobera, who led Mumbai City FC to their maiden ISL title and the League Winners Shield, heaped praise on the departing goalkeeper. “It's no secret that Amrinder has been an important part of Mumbai City's history. Amrinder's influence, both on and off the pitch, was immense, and his role in our incredibly successful last season cannot be understated. He helped his teammates improve, and he helped me learn many things as a coach too. I wish him good luck and good health in his future.�?br /> 
After 84 appearances for Mumbai City FC, with his last in the iconic 2020-21 ISL Final at the Fatorda, Amrinder Singh will link up with ATK Mohun Bagan after signing a five-year contract with ATK.

Featured photo: Twitter / Mumbai City FC

It was only around two months ago that 20-year-old goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem was called up for senior Indian football team. The momentous occasion that it was, by his own admission, the National team call-up went on to motivate him to put up a stellar performance for his club FC Goa in the AFC Champions League 2021 Group Stage, which took place a couple of weeks later.

Dheeraj, who had been twice been named in the AFC Champions League’s Team of the Week for his performances, played a big part in helping FC Goa secure a third-place finish in Group E of the AFC Champions League, with FC Goa being the first Indian team to play in the Group Stage of the competition.

Speaking to AIFF TV, Dheeraj narrated: ��I got the National Team call-up right after the Hero ISL. It gave me the opportunity to travel with the Senior Team to the UAE. It was a big motivation for me to train with Gurpreet paaji and Amrinder paaji. I was so motivated at that point that I reported straight to Goa after we came back.�?/span>

�?@dhee_singh01: Before the @theafcdotcom CL, my friends used to ask me how many goals we would concede. @FCGoaOfficial came out as a very strong and disciplined team in the end, and it was very difficult to score against us #ACL2021 #IndianFootball �?#BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/zCCNieSoHj

�?Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 18, 2021

“Getting into the National Team had a big impact on my confidence. Our coach also gave us a lot of confidence, taking the pressure off from our shoulders. He just told us to go out there and play our normal game, and that’s what we did,�?continued Dheeraj.

With FC Goa being India’s first-ever representatives in the AFC Champions League Group Stage, Dheeraj and his teammates had a tall order, facing-off against quality teams like 2020 Champions League runners-up Persepolis FC (Iran), Al Wahda FC (UAE), and Al Rayyan SC (Qatar). However, the young goalkeeper got two clean sheets to his name, making 19 saves from his five appearances.

“I still remember when the AFC Champions League started, many of my friends asked whether I was ready, and how many goals I expected to concede,�?recalled Dheeraj. “We came up as a very strong team that was disciplined and difficult to score against. We did really well in the first two games, and that really gave us confidence to go forward for the rest of the matches. I think it was the benefit of playing the Hero ISL, that we had moved forward together, and could perform at that level.�?/span>

During the AFC Champions League Group E campaign, Dheeraj was a constant recipient of accolades, especially from opposition coaches. The likes of Laurent Blanc, a former FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro winner with France, who was the coach of Al Rayyan, and Al Wahda head coach Henk ten Kate, who had coached at top clubs like FC Barcelona, Ajax Amsterdam and Chelsea FC, showered praises on the young goalkeeper.

During the last Group E match between FC Goa and Al Wahda, Dheeraj had to be substituted off, due to an injury he had sustained on his throat while making a save. With the match still going on, ten Kate proceeded to the opposition technical area after Dheeraj got substituted, and went on to shower praises on the 20-year-old for his heroics under the bar. The keeper, in return, could only squeak out a weak “thank you,�?partly because he was dumbfounded at the gesture, and partly because of the injured throat.

“I still remember, he (ten Kate) came over to our side of the dugout and shook my hand, and gave me a lot of good words. I was not able to speak much because my throat was really painful, and I could only muster a soft ‘thank you�?�?recalled Dheeraj.

“It felt very good to be praised by such a high-profile and respected coach. But I was also sad that I was not able to continue the game. It felt very nice to get those good words from him, though,�?smiled Dheeraj. 

Featured photo: AIFF

ATK Mohun Bagan talisman Roy Krishna missed on the coveted Golden Boot award for the second season in a row but walked away with the Hero of the League award after the final of the Indian Super League 2020-21 edition.

The joint-highest goal scorer (1️⃣4️⃣) & assist provider (8️⃣) in #HeroISL 2020-21

Your Hero of the League winner - @RoyKrishna21 #HeroISLFinal #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/PuP5jlonqX

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 13, 2021

The latest season, with a whopping 115 matches, was brought to an entertaining close as Mumbai City FC - who won the League Winners Shield earlier this season - secured a 2-1 win over ATKMB to become just the second team, after Bengaluru FC in 2018-19, to finish on top of the league and win the final in the same edition.

The ISL 2020-21 season was the longest campaign in the history of the tournament and it had its rules amended for the top scorer for the seventh edition. According to the new rule, should there be two or more players who score the same amount of goals, the winner will be decided based on the goals per minute ratio.

As it turned out, FC Goa's Igor Angulo was adjudged as the Golden Boot winner as he netted 14 times from 21 games. His goals per minute ratio (117.50) was lower in comparison to Roy Krishna's 147.28.

Krishna's team-mate and ATK Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja took home the Golden Glove ahead of Mumbai City FC's Amrinder Singh, on the basis of higher minutes per goal conceded (108.95). Both the custodians registered 10 clean sheets between sticks, but between the two, 31-year-old Arindam leaked just 19 goals as opposed to Amrinder's 21.

With clean sheets, @atkmohunbaganfc's @iArindamB takes home the Golden Glove Award for #HeroISL 2020-21 #HeroISLFinal #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/iJ6iV7Fb7a

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 13, 2021

Meanwhile, NorthEast United's Lalengmawia won the ISL Emerging Player of the League award following his impressive displays as a defensive midfielder. The 20-year-old registered 93 tackles and 46 interceptions in 22 games and had also won the Emerging Player of the Month award in February.

Lastly, FC Goa's Alberto Noguera won the Winning Pass of the League award for his tally of eight assists. He fought off competition from ATK Mohun Bagan's Roy Krishna - also eight assists - as the former had lower minutes per assist (191.62) than the latter (257.75).

Feature image courtesy: 2021 Indian Super League

Mumbai City FC captain Amrinder Singh has heaped praise on their coach Sergio Lobera, who had earlier propelled the Islanders to the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 points table.

The City goalkeeper has lauded the winning mentality of Lobera and claimed that the former FC Goa coach is the best he has played under.

“Sergio is the best coach I have played under. He is fantastic, with a winning pedigree. He has had a great impact on the team since the first day and injected the winning mentality. The way we made a comeback against Kerala Blasters after our loss against NorthEast United was just fabulous,�?Amrinder was quoted as saying to TOI.

Lobera was a former youth and assistant FC Barcelona coach before managing clubs such as Las Palmas and Moghreb Tétouan. The 44-year-old’s possession-based brand of football transformed the Gaurs into one of India’s most attractive footballing teams.

“We have all seen what he did with Goa. His footballing philosophy is quite similar to Barcelona and Manchester City. He likes possession-based football, and so far, we as a team have tried to execute his plans on the ground. His style of play is new to Indian football, but players have also adapted to it quite successfully,�?Amrinder added in the interview.

Several former FC Goa players, including Ahmed Jahouh, Hugo Boumous, Mourtada Fall, and Mandar Rao Dessai, followed Lobera to join Mumbai.

“The new signings have boosted our strength. Players like Mandar, Hugo have played under Sergio and understand his style, which has also helped us hit the ground running,�?he said.

Mumbai currently sits two points behind league leaders ATK Mohun Bagan. The Cityzens need to defeat Bengaluru FC to leapfrog the Mariners, and as a place at AFC Champions League is at stake, things may go down to the wire.

“We know the importance of finishing top of the table. It will get us the automatic qualification to the AFC Champions League. Trust me, every individual in this squad is motivated to finish the league on top,�?said Amrinder.

The Indian football team goalkeeper has been in brilliant form as he has kept eight clean sheets in the ongoing edition of the ISL, and he is just one behind ATKMB’s Arindam Bhattacharya (nine). 

“Personal milestones don’t matter to me that much. Yes, I am satisfied with my performance, but my team’s success comes first. As the leader of this talented group, I would like to end the season with the silverware,�?he stated.

Feature image courtesy: 2021 Indian Super League

Odisha FC goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh has been a revelation for the Indian Super League side this season, tallying a whopping 26 saves from the six matches that he has played so far.

Though it has taken the Kalinga Warriors nine games to register their first win in ISL 2020-21, lack of effort or dedication was never an issue. Being one of OFC’s most reliable performers this season, Arshdeep believes discipline and hard work always bear fruits.

“There are always better days if you are consistent, determined and working hard towards your goals and dreams,�?the 23-year-old told SportsAdda in an exclusive interview.

“I think you can’t always have a perfect journey. Failures and difficult times make you a stronger and a better person,�?he added.

 

Ups and downs are not something new for Arshdeep Singh. On June 19, 2019, during an AFC Cup match, the young custodian had a severe collision with Chennaiyin FC’s CK Vineeth where the striker’s knee struck Arshdeep’s face.

A Minerva Punjab FC player then, Arshdeep was rushed to the hospital with multiple fractures to his face and was consequently admitted to the ICU. However, he returned within six months and this time in the Indian top-tier football.

“I have been through some really tough times and it made me feel low. But I never gave up. I love challenges and every time I fall down; I get up and start working hard,�?Arshdeep says.

“I love football, and nothing can stop me. If I fall seven times, I will get up the 8th time and start from scratch,�?he adds.

A Manchester United fan, who idolises David de Gea, Arshdeep got the chance to learn from Spanish goalkeeper Francisco Dorronsoro during his first season with Odisha. And although his outings were limited to nine matches in the ISL 2019-20 season, Arshdeep learned a great deal.

Arshdeep stated, “Dorronsoro was very calm and composed on the field. Also, he was very good with his feet, and his reflexes were amazing even at the age of 34.  Overall, he was quite experienced that helped me gain a lot of techniques.�?/span>

From the Indian football team’s no. 1 goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to Mumbai City FC goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, some of the country's most promising custodians have come from Punjab. Chandigarh-born Arshdeep Singh is no different and he believes Punjab’s coaching style and craze about the game has been the reason.

“The coaching in Punjab is really strong, and we have some really amazing coaches who help in building a strong base. There’s a craze for football there and therefore people strive to make the most out of it.

“In my case, my father has been an influence as he was a coach and professional player as well.�?/span>

The same pedigree has been quite evident in Arshdeep Singh as well, especially during Odisha FC’s clash against FC Goa on December 12, 2020, at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim.

Standing between the sticks, Arshdeep showed his incredible reflexes as he saved eight of the nine shots that the Gaurs had attempted on target.

“I won’t say I am gifted. As goalkeepers, we do a lot of training and hard work every single day which helps us polish ourselves and rest is up to god. There’s a slight chance of luck as well.�?/span>

With the Indian Super League being played behind closed doors in Goa this season, the stands have been empty, and Arshdeep has missed that extra push this season.

The 24-year-old added, “The energy that you feel when the fans are around and when they cheer you seems to be missing. I miss that part. Fans�?presence is important because it boosts the players and helps them perform even better."

With momentum firmly on their side following a 4-2 drubbing of Kerala Blasters, Odisha FC will next face Chennaiyin FC on Sunday, January 10, and Arshdeep is expected to play a crucial role yet again.

Written by: Subhayan Dutta

Feature Image Courtesy: Odisha FC

Mumbai City FC had some of the most prolific players in their roster over the years. Their performances have only enhanced the reputation of the club and in turn have made Mumbai a formidable force in the Indian Super League. International stars such as Diego Forlan and Nicolas Anelka have donned the colours of Mumbai and have provided the much-needed respite in times of need.  

During the initial five seasons of the ISL, the performances of these few elite players have ensured that there is no dull moment on the pitch. It will be safe to say if we assemble these players together at once, the final XI on the field would be nothing short of exemplary.

Given the talent and experience that Mumbai have been blessed with for five long seasons, we bring you the best playing XI of this esteemed club in a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper (Amrinder Singh)

The lad from Punjab has been a constant figure between the poles for Mumbai City since 2016. In his first season with the Islanders, Amrinder Singh kept five clean sheets in the six matches that he played. However, his best stint came in the 2017-18 campaign when he completed a record 59 saves, the most by any player in the league that season.

His performance only improved in the next season when he posted 66 saves in a mere 19 encounters for the club. His performances ensured that he made his way to the Indian football team where he is the second-choice goalkeeper.

Read | Mumbai City FC: Gunning for glory with a new-look team

Defenders (Manuel Friedrich - Subhasish Bose - Gerson Vieira - Lucian Goian)

The German defender, Manuel Friedrich played the inaugural season for Mumbai and was a formidable force in the back line. His passing accuracy was impeccable, and he averaged almost two tackles per game in his sole season with the Islanders.

Subhasish Bose joined Mumbai in the 2018-19 campaign and held on to his position quite admirably. His stern approach has been helping Mumbai to take guard at the back since the last season and his blocking capabilities have proved worthwhile for the club.

A rock-solid defender from Brazil, Gerson Vieira was a revelation at the back for Mumbai. In the 2018-19 season with Mumbai, Gerson averaged three tackles per game keeping the momentum in favour of the club in crucial matches.

Lucian Goian became only the first player in three consecutive seasons for the Islanders. The Romanian defender enjoyed a successful tenure with the Islanders and made a record 246 tackles in his three years with the club. He is one of the most iconic players of the club and has made a favourable reputation for himself in the ISL. 

Read | Jorge Costa: A Jose Mourinho protégé tasked to keep Mumbai City FC rolling

Midfielders (Paulo Machado - Arnold Issoko - Freddie Ljunberg)

Blessed with a pin-point accuracy to pass the ball at the feet of the fellow player, Paulo Machado has been Mumbai’s shining light in the midfield from the past season. The Portuguese midfielder’s solid reputation in the midfield is only enhanced by his solid passing accuracy percentage of 66.34 over the two seasons so far with the club.

Another midfielder which the club is blessed to have is Arnold Issoko who had spent most of his professional career in Portugal. His assists rate was significantly better than his peers as he posted eight assists and netted three goals in his 18 matches with Mumbai. This one made a huge impact on Mumbai’s campaign in 2018-19.

The veteran player, Freddie Ljunberg played just four matches for the Islanders, but his presence was more than enough to attract the much-needed hype that ISL desperately needed. Mumbai City were graced with his skills in the inaugural season of the ISL but failed to hold on to him for long.

Forwards (Sunil Chhetri �?Diego Forlan �?Nicolas Anelka)

The Indian football captain, Sunil Chhetri played for Mumbai in the 2015-16 season and registered seven goals in a mere 11 matches. His exceptional display on field is always well appreciated and he is among one of the top goal scorers in the league.

Having played for clubs like Manchester United, Inter Milan and Villarreal, Diego Forlan’s short cameo with Mumbai City was a dream come true for Indian football fans. He was a phenomenal force up front for the club in the 2016-17 campaign as he racked up five goals in 11 appearances for the club. He is remembered and adored by the fans of Mumbai till date.

Nicolas Anelka played the first season of ISL with Mumbai bringing in a ton of experience he had gathered from his days of glory in Europe. Although he played just a sole season, he still regarded as one of the high-profile players and an all-time great to have donned the jersey of Mumbai City.

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Punit Paranjpe