Mumbai City FC announced on Monday that Alexandre Guimaraes has left his role as the head coach of the club, after spending two seasons at the helm of the Islanders in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL).

Guimaraes enjoyed an impressive debut season in 2016, when he guided Mumbai City to the top of the league table with 23 points from 14 games. The Islanders went on to establish themselves as one of the finest defensive units in the league, conceding a total of only eight goals during the league phase of the season.

However, Guimaraes’ men would ultimately go on to lose the semi-final against eventual champions ATK. Nevertheless, the 58-year-old coach had exceeded everyone’s expectations with his first season in Indian football.

His second season in charge did not pan out as expected, with Mumbai failing to achieve their heights from last season, finishing the league phase in seventh place. However, Mumbai City still managed to register seven wins during the season, including a narrow 1-0 victory over eventual 2017-18 champions Chennaiyin FC.

Guimaraes’ achievement during his first season, makes him the club’s most successful manager and they will need to find a suitable replacement soon, if they hope to challenge for the title when the new season gets underway.