ISL 2024-25: 'Mumbai City FC's aim is always to be on top, we think about final' – Bipin Singh

A brand-new season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is about to kick off on Friday, September 13. This will be the 11th season of the ISL and one that will see a few important changes. All teams are required to now have an Indian assistant coach with either an AFC Pro or an equivalent license. One concussion substitute per team has also been introduced this season, along with regular substitutions. According to reports, the Asian player quota has been scrapped and the salary cap has been hiked to Rs 18 Crore, with all clubs allowed to have two players - either domestic or international - outside the salary cap. Also, according to reports, teams can now challenge wrongful red cards.

ISL 2024-25: New rules for upcoming season

ISL 2024-25 will see 13 teams in action, with one of the oldest football clubs in India - Mohammedan Sporting Club - being promoted to the top tier.

One of the teams that enjoys massive fan following and overall ISL success is the Mumbai City FC club. A two-time winner of both the Indian Super League shield and the Indian Super League Cup and also the first team to win both the League Winners Shield and the Cup in the same season (2020-21), Mumbai City FC also have a new front-of-shirt sponsor this season .

ISL 2024-25: Teams and full list of fixtures for upcoming season

Head Coach, Petr Kratky, whose contract has been extended till the end of the 2025-26 season, will be looking to maintain the momentum of last season, which saw the team win the Cup title, despite losing a few key players for this season. Kratky will be joined by former India professional, attacking midfielder turned coach Clifford Miranda, who is the team’s assistant coach.

Over the years, Mumbai City FC have had multiple players in their ranks who have done exceptionally well on the field and one of them has been winger Bipin Singh Thounaojam. The 29-year-old, who incidentally sports the same number on his shirt, is the second-highest goal-scorer for the team (26 goals) and has the maximum number of appearances for the ‘Islanders’ (135).

Bipin, who has also played for the Indian national team, and has been with Mumbai City FC since the 2018-19 season, is looking forward to the new season, which will kick-off with a clash between his team and a team that has quickly become a kind of arch-rival for the ‘Islanders’ - Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who beat Mumbai City last season to win their maiden ISL League Shield.

Firstpost spoke to Bipin, as he gets ready for ISL 2024-25, about the team’s mindset, his personal targets this season, Mumbai’s pre-season camp, and more.

Excerpts…

How excited are you about the new season of the ISL, which is now just around the corner?

Bipin: I am very excited. Also, our first match is going to be against Mohun Bagan (season opener). We have played Mohun Bagan in ISL finals in the past, this time, we are playing them in the very first game, so I am very excited about that too. It will be an important match. Hopefully, it will be a great game.

This time, in the new ISL season, Mumbai City FC go in as defending Cup winners - does that add extra pressure on the team and players, in any way?

Bipin: I wouldn’t say there will be any pressure, but considering how well we did last season and how much we managed to achieve, there will be expectations. We know we have to put up solid performances, and score many goals. The good part is, since we are going in as defending Cup winners, there will be a lot of confidence and we will of course aim to win it again.

Would it be fair to say that the big goal is to be table toppers and champions? Earlier this also meant direct qualification for the AFC Champions League (India have lost their spot in the AFC Champions League)…

Bipin: Yes, that is one of the big goals for all the players and teams. The level of competition is of course different (at the Asian level). We have played the AFC Champions League before. That was a great experience for all of us. If we can continue our good form and showing it will be good for everyone involved - the club, the players, the coaches. All of us want to top the ISL table.

What would you say are your individual targets for this season of the ISL? You are someone who has left an indelible mark on the tournament, over the years as one of the premier goal-scorers, first with ATK and then with Mumbai City FC, a club that you joined in 2018. What are you targeting the most in this upcoming season?

Bipin: My main target is to contribute as much as I possibly can for the team in every single match. I want to be fully prepared, and fully fit for each game. If every member of the team thinks along these lines, it will work wonders for the team. I am just looking to contribute as much as possible to the team.

The ISL season is always a very long one - how do you keep yourself refreshed and motivated for such a long time?

Bipin: The motivation comes from the aim to play each and every match and to continually improve in every game - as a team. It’s a cycle - as we play more and contribute more and score more goals etc, we are more and more motivated. I don’t know what fuels others, but for me to continuously play well and better myself is my biggest motivation. Performance in itself becomes the motivating factor.

Has coach Petr Kratky given the team any tips in terms of how to handle pressure in the big games this time, or is pressure something that is not discussed at all, as such?

Bipin: No, we haven’t discussed pressure, as such. But we are well prepared. We know that every team we play will be a good team, so we know we have to be at our best and know what plans to execute. All this has been discussed and explained to us very well, from pre-season to now. Our pre-season was very good. We haven’t talked about pressure, but we take each and every match very seriously and the players are asked to always stay fully ready.

So, the pre-season camp that Mumbai City FC had was a good one, you were satisfied with the work put in etc?

Bipin: Yes. It was good. It takes a bit of time for things to settle initially because new players come in, and it takes a bit of time for the coach to explain to everyone what he wants, and what he doesn’t want. But now, we are all physically ready. We know the game style that the coach wants the team to play. So, we are fully ready for the new season.

Mumbai City FC also hold the joint record for the fewest defeats in a season - 2 - in the 2022-23 season and then again in the 2023-24 season, the record for the maximum number of consecutive matches undefeated - 18, also records for most goals scored in a season (54) and fewest goals conceded in a season (11). Talk to me about how big of a security blanket it is in a way to be a part of a big and successful franchise like the Mumbai City FC.

Bipin: This is a team that whenever new players are picked ahead of a season, picks players with the mindset of becoming champions. All the players who are part of the team also develop that mindset, that we need to become the champions again. We have never felt any kind of pressure or tension about whether we will be able to be amongst the top teams or not. Our goal is to always be the top team. We stay very confident, thinking of things like - ‘Who will we play in the final’. We never think of things like - ‘will we be able to qualify for the final’ or ‘Maybe this team can beat us’. We have never had these things on our minds over the last many seasons.

You joined Mumbai City FC in 2018 and steadily became one of the pillars of the team. Over the years, what have been your most memorable individual memories with the club? The hat-trick against Odisha in the 2020-21 season - is that still top of the pile perhaps?

Bipin: Yes, that hat-trick (vs Odisha FC, Mumbai City FC won 6-1) was the first hat-trick of that season and also the only one of the season. Then, in the same season (2020-21), I scored a goal in the last minute (vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the final, Mumbai City FC clinched their first Cup win). I will always remember that goal. Also, last season (2023-24) I scored a goal in the final against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata to help the team win the ISL Cup (Mumbai City FC won the final 3-1). That will also be another abiding memory for me.

You come from a part of the country where football is very, very big — Manipur - you started playing club football from the time you were 13 and joined Shillong Lajong when you were just 17 — you are currently 29 years old - which is also your shirt number with the Mumbai FC. You have also played for India. In all this time how much have you seen and experienced club football change in the country? What have been the big areas of development?

Bipin: I think a lot has changed. From when I was in the academy in Shillong to now, I have seen changes in things like diet - what we can eat, and what we can’t. Earlier, we could eat anything and go and play. Now, we know we have to take care of our diet, and our bodies, and regular gym sessions are important. Another change is in how much development there has been in the performance of Indian players. If you look at the ISL, now, season after season, Indian players are doing very well, not just the foreigners. Indian players are scoring many goals. Earlier you would see many foreigners in a team, now even in key positions like the centre-back - you will see Indian players in almost every team. Indian players are getting more chances and are contributing more to their teams. These are the big changes I have observed.

Almost every player has idolised someone - maybe from a past generation or even a current player. Is there an international footballer perhaps whom you admire or idolise?

Bipin: When I was younger, I didn’t get to watch too much football on television. So, there were only photographs, etc and at that time I liked David Beckham and his style of play a lot. Then, slowly as I was exposed to more and more football on television, I began to really admire Cristiano Ronaldo and the way he plays.