After a near miraculous fightback that saw Mumbai City glide into the semi-finals, coach Jorge Costa on Tuesday extended his stay at the club, vowing to win the Indian Super League after narrowly missing out this season.
In his first season at Mumbai, Costa brought to the fore a strong and effective counter-attacking brand of football. It helped the club achieve some stunning milestones during their impressive run, including a club-record nine-game unbeaten stint.
They rose to the second spot before making it to the semi-finals for only the second time in the club’s history. In the knockout clash, they shared victories with FC Goa but lost out on a place in the title-clash.
The 46-year old said he didn’t have to think twice before putting pen to paper on an extension. “Since my first day at this club, I’ve had a great experience with the management and all the staff,” Costa said. “The organization here at Mumbai City FC is thoroughly professional and has done everything to make my job easier and make me feel at home. We are not satisfied with stopping at the semi-finals, but are proud of the season we’ve had,” Costa said.
“Our fans have been a huge part of what we are as a club and they have been immense this season. I’m very happy that I can be in Mumbai next season, continue our good work and give our fans some great memories at the Arena,” he added.
Costa, who won the Uefa Cup and Uefa Champions League for FC Porto and made 50 appearances for Portugal, started off his managerial career at SC Braga before moving to other Portuguese clubs.
Costa later also guided CFR Cluj to the Romanian Liga I title in 2011-’12 and had coaching stints in Cyprus, Gabon and France before making his way to Mumbai.