Mumbai, 18 October 2014: In a proclamation that will thrill Mumbai’s many football fans, Mumbai City FC today announced the launch of its very own anthem titled ‘Is Baar Hum hi Jeetenge’. This gives the city not only a formidable football club of its own, but also a song of praise fans can chant at the club’s matches across India during the inaugural Indian Super League (ISL) and beyond.

Is Baar Hum hi Jeetenge, has been released by Mumbai City FC and composed by award winning Indian Music Director and Composer Pritam while the lyrics have been penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

Speaking about the launch of the anthem, Ranbir Kapoor, Co-owner, Mumbai City Football Club said, “I have worked with Pritam da very closely for several projects and felt that there is no one better to work on an anthem for Mumbai City FC. As always, he has delivered.”

Commenting on the anthem, Music Director and composer Pritam said, “I have always been a football fan. When Ranbir asked me to help with the Mumbai City FC anthem, it agreed immediately. The anthem is something we can all sing along to and I am looking forward to hearing a full stadium reverberating with the sound of the anthem”

This is how the anthem goes:
Is baar hum hi jeetenge,
Har baar jeetenge,
Har baar hum hi jeetenge,
Sau baar jeetenge….

Mumbai maare goal
Sabka dabba gul
Mumbai waale MCFC MCFC bol…

Maidan me hum utren to koi tikta hai kaha,
Hum nazar aa jaayen to koi dikhta hai kaha,
Har baar yahi chillayenge,
Sau baar repeatenge,
Is baar hum hi jeetenge,
Sau baar jeetenge…

Zor se bol mil ke sab,
Mumbai City Football Club,
Scream and shout and pump it up,
Mumbai City Football club…
Bhid ja Bhid ja Bhid Bhid Bhid Mumbai…!

The anthem is one, which diehard supporters can chant for the club and clap to as one, without the need for any accompanying music. Similar to some of the world’s most popular football anthems, the Mumbai City FC anthem does not sound like a song and is devoid of music.

“I love the anthem and feel that it embodies everything the club stands for. Mumbai finally has a football club we can call our own and the anthem reflects that,” added Ranbir Kapoor.

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Mumbai, 16 October 2014: Mumbai City FC would look to get their Hero Indian Super League campaign back on track on their home turf when they take on FC Pune City in their second game of the inaugural edition at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Saturday evening.

The team, co-owned by Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor and Chartered Accountant Bimal Parekh, did not get the desired result from their lung opener against Atletico de Kolkata on the first day of the inaugural edition of the tournament but there were many positives that the team could take from the encounter.

Mumbai City FC

Despite the absence of their marquee players Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden and Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, the team had 57 percent possession in the game and had more shots on goal that their opponents. The team management would be hoping to utilise the services of Ljungberg on their home turf.

The venue has been refurbished keeping in mind the requirements of the football fans and the opening match promises to be an unforgettable experience for the football lovers in the city.

It would be interesting to see what strategy coach Peter Reid adopts against a team that has shown that they can defend deep in their goal-less draw against Delhi Dynamos in the opening match.

The former Everton icon had played an attacking formation in Kolkata despite it being an away game and it is unlikely that Reid would be satisfied with anything but an aggressive approach from his players in their first home encounter.

The team would be without their injured skipper Syed Rahim Nabi, who injured his ankle in the opening game and has been ruled out for at least three weeks. This means that former German international Manuel Friedrich would have to shoulder the responsibility of guiding the Indian players and ensure that they play the perfect support cast to the likes of new signing Andre Moritz.

With the style of play the team has adopted in the competition, the role of custodian Subrata Pal would once again be critical for the team. The first choice stopper of the Indian team for a few years now, Pal showed why he is considered the best in the country during the encounter against Atletico de Kolkata. It would be interesting to see how he manages the movement of the back four so that the team is not caught out on a counter on Saturday.

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Mumbai, 8^th October, 2014: Hero Indian Super League title aspirants Mumbai City FC warmed up in style for the tournament’s opener against Atletico de Kolkata with clinical victories in their four friendlies in the city so far. The Mumbai City FC team flies to Kolkata on 9^th October to prepare for the inaugural match of Hero ISL tournament against Atletico de Kolkata at Salt Lake Stadium, on 12^th October 2014.

Promoted by Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor and Chartered Accountant Bimal Parekh, the club is determined to make an immediate impact on the Hero Indian Super League and the squad has been undergoing an extensive pre-season camp and playing friendlies to gauge the progress by implanting some of the ideas they practice in training and helping the foreign and Indian players in the squad understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses in actual match conditions.

The team began with a 6-0 thumping of Union Bank at Father Agnel Ground, Vashi, before registering a 3-2 victory over former I-League club Air India. In their two friendlies, at the Cooperage, the team hammered DSK Shivajians 6-1 and then beat another former I-league team ONGC 2-1 with former French international Nicolas Anelka playing a starring role.

The idea of such friendlies is to help the players of different playing styles and countries to gel together and adapt to a system that the team would want to follow through the main tournament.

The purpose was definitely achieved as they not only won all their four matches, but manager Peter Reid would be particularly happy that the likes of Syed Rahim Nabi and Nadong Bhutia have turned provider for their foreign stars with Argentine recruit Diego Nadaya already showcasing what he is capable of with seven goals, including two hat-tricks, for the team in the four friendlies.

The Goal scorers include the former India international Subhash Singh and Lalrindika Ralte, the youngster with the best left-foot in Indian football, apart from the up and coming Bhutia.

But more than the goals and the victories what would have pleased Reid would be the numbers in the shots on target and crosses made inside the opponent’s penalty box. In the four matches, the average shots on targets went into doubles figures and the number of crosses and corners were double of the shots on target.

This clearly means that the mid-field and the forward line is complementing each other, which augurs well for the lung opener on Sunday.

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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.

The post Mumbai City FC thrills its fans at Palava! appeared first on Football Counter.

Mumbai, 18th September 2014: Mumbai City FC today announced the signing of the outstanding Freddie Ljungberg as the marquee player for the inaugural season of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL). Karl Fredrik Ljungberg, better known as Freddie Ljungberg, is a former Swedish National Team Captain and a midfielder who has been a critical part of football clubs such as Arsenal, West Ham United and Halmstads BK. His presence at Mumbai City FC will ensure the team has a strong midfield with Ljungberg comfortable playing on either wing in midfield.

Freddie Ljungberg, Welcome to Mumbai City FC

Ljungberg is recognized the world over for his skill and contribution to the sport when he was part of Arsenal’s feared lineup in the early part of this millennium. For several seasons, he played a major role for the club including being a member of the unbeaten 49 game run for the team. In 2008, Arsenal’s manager Arsène Wenger placed Ljungberg 11th in Arsenal Gunners’ Greatest 50 Players. For his home country of Sweden, Ljungberg has earned 75 caps scoring 14 times.

Speaking about the signing, team owner Ranbir Kapoor said, “Mumbai City FC is immensely proud to sign a player like Freddie Ljungberg today. As a former Sweden captain and Arsenal great, the world football fraternity understands what he is worth and I’m sure Mumbai’s football fans will be delighted with his presence in the team. He will enrich us with his talent and experience and we look forward to seeing him making Mumbai proud in the coming season.”

After joining the Mumbai City FC team, Freddie Ljungberg said, “Mumbai City FC presents a thrilling opportunity to play in India and I’m glad to be part of the team in the very first Indian Super League season. Talented Indian players together with the likes of Anelka, Friedrich, ?movš and others will make the team an exciting outfit and I look forward to contributing to the team’s success.”

Ever since the Vittsjö born talent started playing football, he was credited as being someone who was remarkably capable for his age and a player who would pass the ball to his friends so that they would have a chance to score. At the age of 12, Ljungberg convinced Halmstads BK to move him from p12 to p14, which was against Halmstad’s policies at the time.

At age 14, he joined the junior team under Coach Robert Nordström. His perseverance paid off because three years later he was moved up to the senior team where he made his senior debut on 23rd October 1994 in the Allsvenskan against AIK. In 1995, Ljungberg played 31 games in which he scored his first goal as a professional player. That same year Halmstad won the Swedish Cup.

Ljungberg was signed by Arsenal in 1998 for £3 million, which at the time was the highest transfer fee ever for a Swedish player. Arsenal scouts watched him for over a year and Wenger took the unusual step of authorizing the signing after watching Ljungberg play for Sweden in their victory against England on television, without seeing him play live.

Ljungberg proved himself without difficulty and scored on his debut after coming on as a substitute against rivals Manchester United, the match ending 3–0. Some of Ljungberg’s best form came in the second half of the 2001–02 season, when Arsenal won their second Premier League and FA Cup double.

Ljungberg became a regular in Arsenal’s starting lineup following the departure of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars in the summer of 2000. For several seasons he played a major role for the club including being a member of the unbeaten 49 game run for Arsenal.

After his nine years at Arsenal FC, Ljungberg went on to play for West Ham United, Seattle Sounders FC, Chicago Fire, Celtic Glasgow and Shimizu S-Pulse.

Mumbai City FC welcomes Freddie Ljungberg to its fold and his addition strengthens the football club further ahead of its inaugural Indian Super League season.

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.

For the latest photos, videos and updates please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/MumbaiCityFC | http://twitter.com/MumbaiCityFC | https://www.facebook.com/MumbaiCityFC

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