Mumbai City FC have confirmed the departure of Des Buckingham on their official website, with the Englishman returning home to manage League One side Oxford United. The 38-year-old helped the Islanders win the ISL Shield last season, and was their longest-serving manager, having overseen 72 games.
The news comes as a shock since the hierarchy were not planning on dismissing him anytime soon. His departure in the middle of the season could cause some problems, since Mumbai functioned very well under the Brit.
Des Buckingham leaves Mumbai City FC for Oxford United
“Des came into the Club in a period of transition and did incredibly well not just to help lay the foundations of an elite football club but also to achieve great success both domestically in the Indian Super League and continentally at the AFC Champions League. While we are sad to see him leave, Des wants to take up a project that is close back home in the English Football League. His contribution to Mumbai City cannot be understated and with best wishes for the future, we say goodbye to Des and look towards the next chapter for Mumbai City,” Kandarp Chandra, the CEO of the club said.
Buckingham leaves with the highest win percentage in the ISL at 57.8%, the fastest to oversee 100 goals and the first manager to guide an Indian club to an AFC Champions League win.
It now remains to be seen who replaces Buckingham, with Mumbai City FC having some time in hand due to the international break. They are currently fourth in the table with 11 points from five games, fairly in contention for the top spot.
