Mumbai City FC is heading off to Abu Dhabi

Mumbai City FC is heading off to Abu Dhabi in preparation for their first AFC Champions League campaign in a two-week-long training camp.

The Islanders have set up base in Al Forsan where they will train before heading off to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Group Stages of the 2022 AFC Champions League, which will begin from the 8th of April, 2022.

Before being crowned Hero ISL Champions in 2020-21, the Islanders finished first in the league table and won the League Winners’ Shield, making them only the second Indian team to qualify for Asia’s biggest club football competition.

Drawn in Group B in the West Region of the 2022 AFC Champions League, Mumbai City FC will square off against the likes of Al Jazira (UAE), Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia), and Air Force Club (Iraq).

Mumbai City FC Head Coach Des Buckingham said the team will go with a fresh mindset and acclimatize themselves to the conditions which poses an exciting challenge. 

“After a six-month season living in a bubble in the ISL, the players have had a small break in the past few days. We now turn our attention to preparing as well as possible in Abu Dhabi, taking the positives from the league campaign and building on the learnings. We have a very young squad here and the experiences gained, combined with a fresh mindset will help us focus on our next objective for our continental campaign.

We now have time to acclimatize to the conditions and prepare the squad for what will be an exciting challenge ahead. The players, coaches, staff – everyone at Mumbai City is determined to prepare in the best way possible for what’s going to be an important experience and historical moment for the the club. We’re excited and we look forward to the AFC Champions League,” said Buckingham.