The Frenchman was utterly disappointed following his team’s 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters on Thursday that deprived Mumbai City FC of a semi-final spot in the league. “The way we played, we don’t deserve to be in the semis. We can’t blame anybody. We lacked the desire to win,” a dejected Anelka was quoted as telling a post-match press conference.

The former Arsenal striker had high-flying hopes for boosting MCFC’s stature in the ISL during his 2-year stint with the club but unfortunately for him, this dream might take more than an elite Marquee player who’s being doled out huge sums of money every season from the club to escalate Mumbai City’s footballing repertoire. It only goes to goes to show the frailties of Soccer contracts and the kind of impact results can have in influencing a major player’s loyalty commitments to a club in the long run esp. when the current campaign ends with a blow.

Alas! Anelka’s personal career history holds testament to the fact that the solid forward doesn’t like staying in one place for too long.

As for Mumbai City FC, their fate hangs in the balance as they seek another Marquee prospect in their bid to outclass all competition on their road to ISL glory.

The post ‘NOT AS MARQUEE AS MCFC DESIRES’ – Nicolas Anelka is on the move once more as his season with Mumbai City FC draws to a close. appeared first on Football Counter.

*Syed Rahim Nabi named skipper, Manuel Friedrich to be his deputy

Mumbai, 10^th October 2014: Mumbai City FC embarks on its journey to bring back football glory to maximum city as they launch their quest in the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League (HISL) crown with the season opener against Atletico de Kolkata in the mecca of Indian football on Sunday.

The team, co-owned by Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor and Chartered Accountant Bimal Parekh, had already made a statement of intent when they signed the likes of ex-Arsenal legend and former Sweden skipper Freddie Ljungberg, ex-Borussia Dortmund star and former German international Manuel Friedrich and French international and 2008-09 Premier League golden boot winner Nicolas Anelka. Now under the stewardship of ex-Everton icon Peter Reid, the club is determined to make a winning start to their campaign against one of the contenders for the crown in their home ground.

Commenting on the game, coach Peter Reid said “This is the start of the competition and so it is a massive game. It is a big opportunity to play here and hopefully we will come up with the right result.”

Reid also announced that Syed Rahim Nabi would lead the team in the inaugural edition of the HISL. “From the couple of weeks I have worked with the team, I have found him a natural leader, good communicator and a bubbly character within the dressing room. I think Nabi has great experience and knowledge of the game. Manuel Friedrich would be the vice-captain,” Reid added.

In the run up to the lung opener, Mumbai City FC has had a long pre-season camp to help the foreign and Indian players gel together and understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other. And the team has certainly done a lot of progress on that front, which could be gauged by the performance of the squad in the four friendlies they played so far.

They not only won all their four games, but the co-ordination between the mid-field and strike force would make them the team to beat in the tournament. Mumbai City FC’s Argentine striker Diego Nadaya has already scored two hat-tricks in the friendlies and will be a potent force upfront.

Among the team’s star recruits, Ljungberg might play his part in the match after recovering enough from a niggle he suffered during practice. “Hopefully, Freddie will get to play his part in the game,” Reid said.

The team also has a formidable force among their Indian stars with the country’s best goalkeeper Subrata Pal manning their goal-post and skipper Syed Rahim Nabi and local star Raju Gaikwad standing tall in defence and midfield.

According to the rules of the tournament, five Indian players have to be on the field at any given time and to Mumbai City FC’s benefit, most of their first choice players have first-hand experience of playing in the City of Joy.

Nabi hoped that the team would get good support from the local crowd as some of them have played in the city for a long time. “This is the first game and hence will be massive for all of us. We expect a good support for our team and we should get a positive result,” said Nabi.

Mumbai Cit FC signs Moritz

The team also announced the signing of 28-year-old Andre Moritz to the squad and the attacking midfielder is expected to man the left flank for the team.

The Brazilian born, Italian passport holder played in the second tier English Championship for Bolton Wanderers last season and also has the experience of playing in the Turkish and Brazilian leagues.

For Bolton, Moritz made 27 appearances, scored seven goals and provided three assists.

The post Match Preview: Mumbai City FC vs. Atletico de Kolkata appeared first on Football Counter.

Mumbai City FC opened the scoring in the 8^th minute when Lalrindika Ralte (Dika) unleashed a bullet from long range after a good exchange of passes with Nicolas Anelka & Jan Stohanzl. The ISL team were looking very sharp with their passing and kept most of the possession during the game.

ONGC were finding it very difficult to cope with the playing style of this vastly experienced  team, although they did well with their defending they were undone by a set piece in the 2^nd half, when the ONGC goalkeeper completely misjudged a corner kick, Mumbai City FC defender Peter Costa capitalized on the mistake and nodded the ball home to claim the 2^nd goal of the game.

ONGC kept fighting hard to get back into the game and their efforts paid off in the 85^th minute, while keeping the pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence, a miscommunication between goalkeeper and defender led to an own goal. ONGC missed a glorious chance to grab the equalizer at the death.

Mumbai City FC are looking in very good shape for the upcoming ISL season and are tipped as the firm favorites in the competition. We hope all you Mumbaikars support our Mumbai franchise! Catch them in action in their opening game against Atletico De Kolkata at the Salt Lake Stadium on the 17th of October 2014.

The post Mumbai City FC pip ONGC 2-1 in a pre-season friendly appeared first on Football Counter.

Mumbai City FC’s Supporters Club was also present at the airport to receive him who ensured that he got a phenomenal welcome when they burst out into an Anelka chant as soon as he stepped out of the terminal. Anelka stopped outside to click a couple of pictures and sign some jerseys before leaving for the hotel. At the hotel, he received the traditional Indian welcome with a garland and a tikka.

The post Nicolas Anelka’s arrival in Mumbai appeared first on Football Counter.

Palava, 20th September 2014: Football fever is back with India’s biggest Football extravaganza, the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) beginning on 12th October. In a run up to ISL, the Mumbai City FC team as part of their community outreach program visited Palava, the City of Opportunity.

Promoted by Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh, the team boasts of international stars and top domestic talent. Ex-Arsenal legend and former captain of the Swedish National team, Freddie Ljungberg, former French National team player and winner of the Premier League Golden Boot 2008-2009, Nicolas Anelka, ex-Borussia Dortmund defender and German National team player, Manuel Friedrich, Argentinean Diego Nadaya and the current Indian National team goalkeeper, Subrata Pal form the nucleus of this star studded team headed by the ex-Everton icon Peter Reid as manager.

The squad spent the entire Saturday at Palava beginning with a special workshop and training session for 60 kids conducted at the state of the art football ground by Assistant Coach, Steve Darby, an ESPN Star Sports pundit and most recently the head coach of Kelantan FA in the Malaysia Super League. The children were thrilled to train and interact with their idols, taking autographs and clicking pictures with the stars.

Following the training, the players spent a relaxed day at Palava with a round of Golf at the serene 9-hole golf course by the river and other recreational sports at Palava.

Steve Darby, Assistant Coach – Mumbai City FC, said: “Kids in Mumbai have tremendous enthusiasm for football, and now at Palava, they have a great football facility where they can hone their skills and achieve excellence. This has been a wonderful opportunity for Mumbai City FC to connect with its fans and we look forward to many more such engaging interactions.”

Shaishav Dharia, Development Director, Palava said: “We are tremendously pleased to host Mumbai City FC at Palava and give young enthusiasts the opportunity to meet and train with the stars. This is another step in our endeavour to not just provide world class sports facilities, but create platforms that enhance skills and create special experiences for our residents.”

About Mumbai City Football Club
Mumbai City Football Club or Mumbai City FC, is Mumbai’s franchise in the inaugural Hero Indian Super League. Bollywood actor and football enthusiast Ranbir Kapoor and chartered accountant Bimal Parekh together own the team. Mumbai’s D.Y Patil Stadium is the team’s home stadium.
The team’s logo is a reflection of a resilient fortress that stands proudly, surrounding the logo that signifies the unrelenting, determined spirit of the city. The seven stars symbolize the islands that form Mumbai. Trains that are the very lifeline of the city ply millions of Mumbaikars across its vast expanse and connect these islands. Each passenger, each citizen of the city is bound together by their love for the place they call home. 20 million citizens, 20 million hearts pulse to a single beat – the heartbeat of Mumbai.

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