ISL 2020-21: After leading Mumbai City FC to title, CFG set sights on making club more ‘sustainable’

After sweeping the Indian Super League title along with the ISL League Winner’s Shield in their first season as the co-owners of Mumbai City FC, the City Football Group will now turn its sights on longer-term project: Of making the club ‘more sustainable from a talent standpoint’. “The challenge for any club (after winning a title) is how do you improve both on the sporting side, and the operational and commercial sides. We have already been laying down strategic plans for the upcoming seasons, not just ISL 8, but beyond that. Some of these plans have been compromised because of COVID-19,” Damian Willoughby, India CEO of CFG, told reporters on a conference call on Monday. “The challenge for us is really put into place a robust football organisation and a football pyramid that enables the club to identify, nurture and develop talented young players. If we are able to do that successfully, we’ll be able to have a healthy and sustainable football club. Clearly, it’s a results-driven business. The bigger project and challenge for us is to putting in place this robust football organisation that supports not just your first team but more importantly helps develop young players.” Years before the it bought a 65 percent stake in Mumbai City FC in 2019, the CFG was looking at options to invest in Indian football. CFG’s brain trust even spent time in India understanding the football ecosystem. (The CFG are still working in a consultative capacity with Mumbai whilst the transaction receives regulatory approval.) Willoughby said that CFG will now look at investing in developing recreational football programs, bolstering their youth football teams, and the academy. “If you look at all the successful football clubs around the world, they have a track record of developing young players. That’s the aspiration for Mumbai City FC. If we can do that, it’s a much more efficient and economical way to build a club,” he said. Winning the ISL League Winner’s Shield also ensured that Mumbai will play in the AFC Champions League in the upcoming season. CFG has had clubs that are under its umbrella — Australia’s Melbourne City FC and Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos — compete in the prestigious Asian club tournament. Mumbai coach Sergio Lobera said on Monday that CFG was very hands-on in terms of assisting him and his coaching staff with footballing expertise. So does the Mumbai franchise’s qualification for Asia’s elite tournament mean more technical inputs from CFG as Mumbai prepare for their maiden foray into the Champions League? “The challenges of the AFC Champions League will be different to the ISL given the level of teams representing the different Asian nations. We’re really excited by the challenge and the opportunity to represent India and to pair our wits against the best teams in the continent. Does the level of commitment and support from CFG change because Mumbai will be competing in the AFC Champions League? “The answer is ‘no’,” said Willoughby.