Mumbai City FC Appoints Former Leicester City Academy Coach Ashvir Singh Johal As Head Coach

Mumbai, November 14, 2026: Mumbai City FC have appointed former Leicester City academy coach Ashvir Singh Johal as head coach for the remainder of the 2026-27 season, replacing Manolo Marquez following a disappointing start to their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.

Johal becomes the Islanders’ third head coach in just a few months, underscoring the club's instability after long-serving Czech tactician Petr Kratky departed in July.

Marquez, who took charge ahead of the season, parted ways with the club by mutual consent after failing to register a victory in four matches. Mumbai City have managed just two points from four outings, with two draws and two defeats. They are currently eleventh in the 13-team ISL standings.

The final blow came when the Islanders squandered a 2-0 home lead against SC Delhi and suffered a 3-2 defeat.

Johal Faces Immediate Challenge

Johal now faces the immediate challenge of reviving Mumbai City’s fortunes, beginning with a difficult away fixture against Bengaluru FC on Friday. ISL matches are on a break due to the ongoing FIFA international match calendar from November 9 to 17.

Kratky, who took charge midway through the 2023-24 season, had guided Mumbai City to their second ISL Cup triumph before departing in July 2026. His exit was followed by Marquez’s brief four-match tenure.

From Leicester Academy To Morecambe

Born in Leicester, England, Johal began his football journey at local non-league side Guru Nanak Gurdwara FC before spending a decade at Leicester City’s academy, coaching players across various age groups up to the Under-18 level.

He moved into senior football in 2022-23 as assistant coach to Kolo Toure at Wigan Athletic in the English Championship. Johal subsequently worked alongside Cesc Fabregas with Como’s Primavera setup in Italy during the 2023-24 season.

After managing Notts County’s B team between 2024 and 2025, he was appointed head coach of Morecambe FC in 2025, becoming the youngest head coach across the top five divisions of English football.

Johal holds a UEFA Pro Licence, European football’s highest coaching qualification.

Club Confident In New Appointment

Mumbai City FC Director of Football Sujay Sharma said the appointment followed a thorough evaluation of candidates who aligned with the club’s playing philosophy.

“We were looking for a coach who understands that identity, shares our footballing philosophy and can take the team forward while maintaining the standards and ambitions associated with this club,” Sharma said.

Acknowledging Johal’s limited senior managerial experience, Sharma expressed confidence in his coaching credentials and footballing ideas.

“We recognise that Ashvir is at an early stage of his senior managerial career. However, we believe that his experience, footballing ideas, ambition and alignment with the club’s philosophy make him the right person for this opportunity,” he added.

Johal said he was excited to take charge of the Islanders and stressed that the club’s footballing philosophy matched his own approach.

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“Mumbai City has established a strong identity and a clear footballing philosophy, and the alignment between that vision and my own approach to the game was an important factor in my decision,” Johal said.

The new coach is expected to arrive in India shortly and join the squad ahead of his first assignment.

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