Bengaluru FC parted ways with head coach Simon Grayson, a day after their humiliating 4-0 loss to Mumbai City FC. The ISL club made the announcement on Saturday after the 9th ranked ISL side suffered a victimizing defeat at the hands of Mumbai in Bengaluru.
Issuing a statement on social media, Bengaluru FC announced that the club is parting ways with head coach Simon Grayson and that it was a mutual agreement. Grayson openly targeted his own players after their loss to Mumbai, their fourth defeat in nine games.
“It was men against boys. It was embarrassing. It was a lacklustre performance,” Grayson said after the game.
“We did the basics wrong. We didn’t pass it to a blue shirt and kicked it out instead. We didn’t stay with the runners. We had no competitive edge to us,” he added.
“None of our players are showing any basic fundamentals to be professional footballers. Some old and experienced players should be looking at themselves and questioning themselves,” he continued.
The Englishman wasn’t concerned about his future as Bengaluru FC head coach after just one win in nine games this season but felt some of the performances reflected badly on his players.
“I’m never fearful for my job. I’ve been in the game for 18 years. I know what it’s all about. Everyone looks over their shoulders when they get bad results,” he said.
“What will happen will happen but the biggest concern is the performance of some of the players who whether I’m here or not will have to show a lot more steel, application, desire because their futures are on the line as well. Some of these are only 22 or 24. Performances like this aren’t going to keep them in football,” he added.
Bengaluru FC CEO calls for changes after loss
Bengaluru City FC’s CEO Parth Jindal expressed his disappointment after the side’s 4-0 defeat and said that ‘changes are coming’. Jindal’s tweet could have very well been an indicator of Simon Grayson’s removal – a sign that marks the string of changes the ISL club wants to make. Taking to X, Parth said that this wasn’t the BFC he was familiar with and that it was beyond him for the side to play this way.
Mumbai City drown Bengaluru FC 4-0
The Islanders dominated the home side right from the word go, with BFC struggling to keep up with the game. The Sunil Chhetri-led side had no answer as Mumbai launched a vicious assault on the home side. Abdenasser El Khayati netted the first goal for Mumbai within 11 minutes of the kick-off. Akash Mishra doubled the lead as he scored another goal at the 30th minute.
The final nail in the coffin came when Diaz and Chhangte delivered two successive blows as they scored goals off penalties in the 57th and 61st minute respectively. It was surely not BFC’s night as they remained clueless throughout the game.
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