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Where there’s a will, there’s a way. This aptly sums up the story of Mumbai-based football club MYJ-GMSC’s team owner Joe Miranda, who has somehow negotiated tight finances to ensure his team is the only outfit from Maharashtra in I-League 2 this year.
MYJ-GMSC will play their opening fixture against SC Bengaluru at the Cooperage on Friday. I-League 2 represents the third tier of the Indian football league system, behind the Indian Super League and the Indian Football League.
Malad-based Miranda, 54, who is a director in funding company Andromeda, runs the team purely out of his own purse due to the sorry state of football sponsorship. “The biggest challenge is finances. Most Indian football clubs are bleeding as there aren’t many sponsors. I’m funding the team out of my own pocket, spending Rs 2 crore [Rs 50 lakh for player contracts plus travel costs for away matches],” Miranda tells mid-day.
MYJ-GMSC owner Joe Miranda
“You have to sign players from across the country because this is not a Mumbai league, where you can simply bring in 20 boys from across the city. You need to have professional contracts alongside amateur ones. You need to provide accommodation to players, then there’s also insurance. It’s tough and nothing short of a miracle that we have managed to survive.”
MYJ-GMSC was formed in 2023–24 and made an immediate impact, winning the Mumbai Premier League title in their debut season. They thus qualified for the 2023–24 I-League 3, where they finished third in the playoffs, eventually earning a promotion to I-League 2 for the 2025–26 season.
When asked how his team has done so well in such a short time, Joe put it down to their disciplined training regime.
“We do five days of training at the Wings Sports Centre in Bandra. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, our head coach Vijit Shetty does his football training and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, trainer Ronak Hooda works on the physical part,” Miranda explained.
Whatever the results in the long run, Miranda is just happy to see Mumbai retain its place on the football map.
“After work, whatever time I get, I try to devote it to football because it’s my passion. This project is not commercially driven.
Besides Mumbai City FC, who are right up there in the ISL, there’s no other Mumbai team in Indian football. I’m happy we’re here and hope we can progress,” he signed off.
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