ISL: FC Pune City announces Phil Brown as head coach

FC Pune City has replaced Miguel Angel Portugal, who was sacked in late October, with the Englishman, who has close to two decades of managerial experience.

Phil Brown during his time as manager of Hull City, which he got promoted to the Premier League.

FC Pune City today has announced Phil Brown as its new head coach, who will take charge of the team for the remainder of the season. Brown replaces Miguel Angel Portugal, who was sacked in late October , with technical director Pradyum Reddy having been the interim manager so far.

Brown brings With him close to two decades of managerial experience, having been at the helm of top English clubs like Blackpool, SouthEnd United, Preston North End, Derby County and Hull City, among many. 

On signing the English coach, FC Pune City CEO, Gaurav Modwel, said, "Phil has extensive experience of playing as well as a manager with a has a proven track record in England. His successful stint at Hull City, getting them promotion to Premier League was historic and says a lot about his caliber as a manager. We welcome him to FC Pune City family and look forward to making most of the rest of our season."

Before starting his managerial career in England in 1999, Brown played across England for clubs like Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool among others for over 18 years. In 1999, he started his managerial career with Blackpool as an assistant coach. It was 2006, when the Englishman took charge of Hull City. Under him, the club won the Championship in 2008 and earned promotion to Premier League for the first time in its 104-year history.

In 2013, Brown joined SouthEnd United in League Two and in his five years there, the team qualified for playoffs thrice and won promotion to League 1.

"FC Pune City has been having a difficult season but I am optimistic about taking up this job as the points table really isn’t the real representation of the talent that’s existing at the club. The potential at the club is exciting and I am really looking forward for the season with FC Pune City,” said Brown after signing up with the Stallions.

Brown will be joined by Aidan Davison as goalkeeper coach. Davison, a former Premier League footballer, has a managerial career at clubs across USA and England including Hull City, FC Arizona and Jacksonville Destroyers.

Pune City is seventh on the ISL table after 12 fixtures. It had been bottom of the league at one stage but went into the winter break with back-to-back wins against Kerala Blasters and FC Goa, keeping clean sheets in both those fixtures.