ISL 2018: Mumbai City FC part ways with head coach Alexandre Guimaraes
What's the story?
Mumbai City FC and Alexandre Guimaraes have parted company by mutual consent, the club has announced. The Brazilian-born Costa Rican manager had been with the Islanders since 2016 after he took over from Nicolas Anelka.
In case you didn't know...
The General has had a long history in relation to the sport. Guimaraes was born in Brazil but soon left for Costa Rica, whom he represented internationally. He played the entirety of his career in Costa Rica and even represented the nation in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Guimaraes' managerial career has been long and has presented him with plenty of opportunities at the biggest stage. The Costa Rican coach has managed several clubs, including Al Wasl and Tianjin Teda. He was also the coach of his national team during the 2002 and the 2006 FIFA World Cups, albeit in separate stints.
The heart of the matter
Mumbai City FC have announced today that they have parted company with manager Alexandre Guimaraes by mutual consent. The decision to part ways with the General was announced via Twitter.
Guimaraes was appointed as the manager of Mumbai City FC in 2016 and he led the club through two very distinct and extreme Indian Super League seasons. In his first season, with Diego Forlan and Sunil Chhetri under his tutelage, Guimaraes led Mumbai City FC to the top of the table during the regular season. However, the Islanders couldn't repeat the same during the playoffs and were eventually knocked out.
The General's second season was less successful than his first one. Losing some of his key players, coupled with the expansion of the league hurt Mumbai City FC. The club managed to finish only seventh on the league table. During this campaign, Guimaraes was accused of using overly defensive tactics, resulting in Mumbai's bad form.
What's next?
With a new season on the horizon, Mumbai City and Guimaraes have jointly decided that it is time for the both of them to look for new opportunities. Time will tell who the Islanders have in mind to bring in as his replacement.
Did Mumbai City FC take the right decision in parting ways with Alexandre Guimaraes? Do let us know in the comments below.