'Mumbai feels like home': Tiri extends stay with the city team

“I decided to stay because I genuinely feel at home in Mumbai,” said Spanish centre-back José Luis Espinosa Arroyo, known as Tiri, who has extended his contract with the city’s top-tier football team until May 2026.The 33-year-old, now entering his tenth season of 11-a-side football in India, is among the longest-serving foreign players in the country’s professional circuit. Since joining the Mumbai team in 2023, Tiri has made 49 appearances, including 21 in the most recent campaign, contributing to nine clean sheets and over 80 defensive recoveries.As a personal tribute, he will now wear ‘Rubio’ on the back of his jersey in memory of his late father. “My dad was, is, and will be my number one fan,” he said. “Wearing his name helps me feel closer to him.”The Mumbai team, currently in a phase of transition, has opted for continuity in defence by retaining one of its most experienced players — a move seen as steadying rather than flashy, but crucial to rebuilding efforts.