Saudi Arabian investment over the past few months has been well documented and means an uphill battle for Mumbai City to compete for the AFC Champions League title this season.
Much like the serious investment in Premier League clubs has seen English success in the Champions League in Europe, a similar situation is starting to develop in the AFC.
Mumbai Flying The Flag For India
As India’s sole representative in the AFC Champions League, Mumbai City are flying the flag for the nation in the elite competition this season. Mumbai face a mighty challenge to go all the way in the competition this term but the battle has been made even harder by the recent surge in investments in Saudi Arabian clubs and others in the Middle East. It’s a similar story in Europe where 2/1 favourites in the UEFA Champions League betting odds Manchester City have invested heavily in their squad over the years. Money has now been ploughed into the squads, significantly improving the quality of the game.
Mumbai find themselves going into the AFC Champions League this season as underdogs, after qualifying as the 2022/23 Indian Super League regular season premiers. English manager Des Buckingham will be fully aware of the size of the task at hand to qualify from a group that includes the likes of Al-Hilal, Nassaji Mazandaran and Navbahor. Al-Hilal made headlines over the summer with the arrival of Brazilian superstar Neymar. The team also boasts Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović and Portuguese midfielder Rúben Neves in their ranks. Buckingham joined Mumbai back in October 2021 and helped the outfit finish top of the Super League at the end of the regular season last term. Mumbai failed to come out on top in the playoffs after losing on penalties to eventual runner-ups Bengaluru. However, there is no doubting the step up there is in the quality of the AFC Champions League, especially after the eye-watering summer of spending in the Middle East, and Mumbai are facing a hefty fight.
A Similar Story In Europe
Investment in the Premier League over recent years has seen English clubs impress in the UEFA Champions League of late. Of the last five Champions League finals including 10 teams, seven of them have been English clubs. The finals in 2019 and 2021 were played between just English teams, as Liverpool faced Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea took on Manchester City. It was Pep Guardiola’s city that beat Inter Milan in the final last season and rewarded the substantial investment that has since been pumped into the Manchester outfit in recent years.
Much like the money that has gone into English clubs with global interest in the Premier League, the Middle East also seems well-placed to experience a particularly good spell. The top flight in Saudi Arabia has drawn some big names to the league this year and investments show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The challenge in the AFC Champions League has become greater for teams like Mumbai City and is one to which coach Buckingham and his side will look to rise.
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