It felt like Mumbai City FC would be struggling after losing its celebrated manager, Des Buckingham to Oxford United in November last year. Four months later, however, MCFC is flying, sitting second in the table.
A chunk of the credit for the success after the transition goes to its new man-in-charge, Petr Kratky, who joined Mumbai City recently in December.
“It was hard work to get to know every single individual in the club. The players, the staff, even the stakeholders, but it was very important. It wasn’t easy but we are getting there,” Kratky shared, talking about his initial days in Mumbai.
What makes Kratky’s work more impressive is that he has not managed any club before, ever. His last stint close to a football manager was as an assistant coach of the Australian top-division side, Melbourne City FC from October 2021, with which he won the league twice. (2021-22 and 2022-23)
He was part of the youth development side at Melbourne for four years where he specialised in finding young talent and nurturing them. And his experience has helped MCFC use that skill to full effect.
From being an occasional substitute at the start of the season, Vikram Partap Singh became one of the crucial playmakers of the side. The player has started every Indian Super League (ISL) game for Mumbai City FC this year and has three goals and an assist to his name this season.
His recent performances under Kratky also earned him a spot in the Indian National team for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Young players like Gurkirat Singh, Ayush Chikkara and Hmingthanmawia Ralte have prospered under him. Hmingthanmawia has had four league starts this season in the full-back position, all coming in the last eight fixtures in which he has also been used as an occasional substitute.
Gurkirat Singh who is just 20 years of age, has been given 77 minutes off of the bench this season in four appearances in which he even scored his maiden ISL goal against Chennaiyin FC.
Even the 21-year-old Ayush Chikkara has been given 112 minutes in three appearances, all coming in the last couple of weeks. He was even given his first start as the centre-forward against Jamshedpur FC.
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“We need to approach them (youngsters) very young and teach them why we love football and why we love the game. After this, we need to give them good coaches, pitches and competition. The foundation is very important,” Kratky said, talking about India’s youth development.
In the ISL, Kratky has gone toe-to-toe with seasoned tacticians such as Carles Cuadrat – who won the league title with Bengaluru FC and the Kalinga Super Cup with East Bengal – and Owen Coyle, who won the ISL League Winners’ Shield with Jamshedpur FC.
Petr Kratky Head Coach of Mumbai City FC celebrates a win against Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 match at the Mumbai Football Arena | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
MCFC’s first match under the helm of Kratky was against an in-form FC Goa which it held to a goalless draw. This was followed by a win against last year’s champion Mohun Bagan SG.
Recently Kratky’s side has defeated East Bengal, Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC in a row, in a dominant fashion, keeping a clean sheet in all the games.
When asked about key first-team players of the likes of Greg Stewart, El Khayati and Rostyn Griffiths leaving the club mid-season, Kratky simply replied, “You have to go with the flow, that is my philosophy in life and football” with a smile on his face.
“There is always movement, you have to just accept that and work around it. Our tactics depend on the opposition and the availability of the players. You just have to embrace the challenge. The team is performing so far and that is all that matters.”
Kratky has competed at the highest level of Czech football as a player. Before moving to Melbourne City FC as part of the coaching staff, he played as a full-back in the Fortuna Liga (Czech first division) for Zbrojovka Brno, Mlada Boleslav and Slovan Liberec over four seasons in which he made 33 appearances.
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“There is a lot of potential (in Indian football). We have to make the environment the best as we possibly can and help all the individuals. This is my role here in Mumbai,” he said while sharing his first impression about Indian football.
The race for the top spot is extremely tight this season, with the first and the fifth-placed team separated by just four points. Odisha leads the standings, while MCFC – the defending Shield champion – sits second, with a fewer point and a game in hand.
When asked about thoughts on defending the Shield, Kratky said, “I take it (matches) day by day. Every day, you have to train well to play well in the match. We stick together and see how we approach the next game. Have a good character both on and off the pitch. Good things happen to good people,” he replied.
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