Former Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand U-23 coach Des Buckingham has taken his first session as the newly-appointed head coach of Indian Super League champions Mumbai City.
Buckingham (36) had to complete a period of quarantine before joining Mumbai City’s squad in Goa to begin pre-season preparations for the 2021-22 ISL season.
Photo: Buckingham takes his first coaching session at Goa. Image courtesy of Mumbai City FC.
Buckingham has replaced Sergio Lobera who departs for a fresh challenge within the City Football Group, owners of Mumbai City, Manchester City and Melbourne City.
Buckingham, who was an assistant coach at A-League champions Melbourne City, has signed a two-year contract with Mumbai City.
Lobera ran Mumbai City’s most successful campaign ever when the Islanders became the first team in ISL history to secure the ISL League Winners’ Shield and the ISL Trophy, completing a double last season.
Before joining Melbourne City, Buckingham became the youngest coach in A-League history when he took charge of Wellington Phoenix at the age of 31, before a spell with Stoke City’s U-23 team.
He was also the head coach of New Zealand’s U-20 and U-23 teams and was briefly the assistant coach to the All Whites.
Buckingham was named Men’s Coach of the Year at the 2020 New Zealand Football Awards.
First training session
Mumbai City’s cameras were present for Buckingham’s first session on October 25:
Video interview
Buckingham’s first interview after arriving in Mumbai:
More about Buckingham
Last October, Buckingham was the guest of the Between Two Beers podcast, hosted by Seamus Martens and Steve Holloway.
Buckingham bio
2004-2014 Oxford United (youth coach)
2014 WaiBOP Football/Capital Football (federation development manager roles)
2015 Wellington Phoenix (assistant coach)
2016 Wellington Phoenix (interim coach)
2017 Wellington Phoenix (coach)
2017-2018 Stoke City U-23 (assistant coach)
2018-2019 New Zealand U-20 (coach) and All Whites (assistant coach)
2019-2020 New Zealand U-23 (coach)
2020-21 Melbourne City (assistant coach)
More football stories
