Des Buckingham leaves emotional note for team & fans before leaving India

Des Buckingham recently parted ways with Mumbai City to join childhood club Oxford United.

Former Mumbai City FC coach, Des Buckingham, took to Twitter (X) to express his heartfelt gratitude before bidding farewell to India and joining the English third division team, Oxford United. Alongside captured moments with the team, he also penned a heartfelt note for both the squad and the dedicated fans. 

At first he noted about the achievements that the team achieved during his tenure. He wrote, “To my fellow Mumbaikars, Yesterday marked the end of a wonderful journey as Head Coach of Mumbai City FC. We achieved so much together, making history and many special memories along the way. All the way from securing India’s first-ever wins in the AFC Champions League in 2022 to lifting the ISL League Shield together last season. More importantly, the way we were able to achieve these milestones-playing some of the most exciting, free-flowing and high-scoring football- has been a pleasure to watch from the sidelines.”

He graciously expressed gratitude to the support staff of Mumbai City FC, as well as the unwavering support from the fans, “Thank you to everyone across India for such a positive experience and to our incredible fans, staff and players at Mumbai City FC for the unwavering support and passion throughout my time here.”

“The time has come to move on and pursue an opportunity close to my heart back home, but I will always be a Mumbai City fan and I look forward to visiting the MFA again soon to thank you all in person,” he added.

Buckingham greeted by fans at airport

Number of fans assembled outside the airport to bid farewell to Des Buckingham. He appeared moved and struggled to contain his tears as he expressed his sentiments. He said, “Didn’t know anybody or too much when I came, but I have been made to feel so welcome, firstly by you guys, secondly from Mumbai, and thirdly from across the country. And for you all to turn up at this time of the night and do what you’ve done to see me off, I’ll never forget this (moment).”

At last he left a message for the fans and urged them to keep supporting their team (Mumbai City FC). “Thank you so much for the support you’ve given me, thank you so much for the support you’ve given the team. It was so special to be here at Mumbai City FC. Please continue to turn up at the stadium and I know you will. I will be supporting from Oxford and hopefully, we’ll have some more fans to support Oxford from here,” he stated before leaving.  

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