Mumbai: Having played top class football at home and internationally for years, the lure of playing in a country which he had visited in the past as a tourist drew German footballer Manuel Friedrich to the ISL.
The 34-year-old defender, who missed out on gaining selection for Germany in the 2006 World Cup and has played for top Bundesliga clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen and Mainz 05, will be representing Mumbai City FC, owned by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, in the ISL which kicks off on Oct 12.
Friedrich, who started his football career in the mid 1990s, is expected to be the backbone of the Mumbai franchise’s defence in ISL with his aerial skills. (PTI)
