Bengaluru FC will have its third head coach in as many years as it replaced Marco Pezzaiuoli with Simon Grayson ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Under German-born Italian Pezzaiuoli, who was initially appointed on a three-year “performance-based” contract, BFC had finished sixth in the 2021-22 edition of the Indian Super League, an improvement of one place compared to the 2020-21 season. Grayson has been appointed on a two-year contract.
Grayson’s managerial career started in 2005, and the 52-year-old has overseen four promotions from the English League One with Blackpool (2007), Leeds United (2010), Huddersfield Town (2012), and Preston North End (2015). The Englishman’s most-recent stint was with League One side Fleetwood, that sacked him last November after a disappointing set of results.
As a player, Grayson came through the youth ranks at Leeds United, before moving to Leicester City in 1992, where he made over 220 appearances across five seasons. With Leicester, he secured promotion to the Premier League as captain and also won the English League Cup in 1997.
