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A star studded football league has been knocking on the doors for long. The success of the Indian Premier League, along with the launch of the Hockey India League and the Pro Kabaddi League meant it was only imminent a glamorous football league too would rise and take the footballing world by storm.One of the early talking points about the league concentrated towards the glitzy ownership of the franchises and the potential star players who would pay a visit to the ‘sleeping giant’ and join forces directed towards waking up the giant.Technically gifted, skilful, flamboyant, armed with an ocean of experience and a long list of laurels in their kitty, the ISL has seen players of the highest standard make a bold move to the previously unexplored footballing territory that is India to ply their trade here.Although there have been quite a few surprise names in the league in either season, the 5 most unexpected players to have touched Indian soil to take their football career forward are:
#5 Florent Malouda
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In what is nothing less than a star studded Delhi Dynamos FC line-up for the 2015 Indian Super League, Florent Malouda is one of the big-name players in the setup and the first name on the team sheet for marquee player-manager Roberto Carlos.
The French international has a long list of honours to his name. The midfielder played most of his football for Lyon and Chelsea where he went on to reach great heights.
While he won 4 back to back titles with Lyon, he managed his one and only Premier League title with Chelsea in the 2009-10 season. But his biggest achievement to date came in 2012 where he got to lay his hands on the coveted Champions League Trophy when Chelsea edged past Bayern Munich in the final.
Having been playing in the French top tier in 2014-15 as an active member, Malouda is nothing short of a prized possession for the team from the Capital and a huge asset for the league as well, as he has definitely contributed to the better playing standards.
Malouda brings with him, an experience of having played over 400 top level games, of which 138 came for Lyon and 149 for Chelsea while the midfield maestro also made 80 appearances in the blue of France.
One of the biggest names in the ISL, the Frenchman is certainly one of the names no one would have expected to see in the ISL, atleast this soon.
#4 Lucio
Next up on the list is the Brazilian defensive wall, Lucio. Known for his resolute defending and strong leadership at the back, Lucio has played at the very highest level and against the best, more often than not coming out on top.
Upon completion of his youth career at Planaltina EC, the tall, lanky stopper joined the renowned Internacional setup, before joining German side Bayern Leverkusen. The Brazilian then took a huge stride when he joined German giants Bayern Munich in 2004, where he played for 5 years and in 144 games. He then made his way to the Inter Milan setup and played an instrumental role in the team’s Champions League triumph against his former club Bayern Munich in the final in 2010.
The defender then moved to Juventus and soon after that decided to move back to his country, where he played for Sao Paulo and Palmeiras before making a switch to join Zico’s FC Goa.
Equally adept with ball at his feet and in the air, the strong defender, through the course of his career, went on to accumulate three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, one Serie A and Champions League with Inter Milan in 2009-10 and a FIFA Club World Cup among other honours. The stalwart had fine outings with the national team as well where he won the 2002 World Cup, in addition to the 2005 and 2009 Confederations Cup triumphs.
#3 Nicolas Anelka
It was 2014, and Nicolas Anelka was playing for English Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion. The unfortunate ‘quenelle gesture’ incident led to his departure and where he landed next, was a surprise, and a pleasant one at that.
A multi-club superstar, Nicolas Anelka added Mumbai City FC to his long roster of clubs which includes European giants such as PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
The clinical number 9, having been a prolific scorer, was in huge demand during his heyday where his best spells came with Manchester City and Chelsea, where he went on to score 37 goals in 89 appearances and 38 goals in 125 games, respectively.
Le Sulk, as he is nicknamed, is rarely seen smiling, but seldom let a smile last on the faces of the opposition as well. With over 150 goals in his career of which 13 were in the Blue of France in 68 appearances, Anelka established himself as one of the finest centre-forwards going around in Europe in his prime.
At 36, Anelka still has some football left in him, glimpses of which were on show in the first edition where the forward played 7 games, scoring 2 scintillating goals for the Ranbir Kapoor owned team.
The highlights of his illustrious career include a Euro 2000 win with France, a Champions League medal with Real Madrid in the 1999-2000 season and the English Premier League crown, both with Arsenal and Chelsea in the 1997-98 and 2009-10 seasons respectively.
The multi-club star has donned a dual role this season with him being the player-manager for Mumbai City FC. So, if he did not raise enough eyebrows in the first season with his appearance in the ISL, this definitely will make everyone stand up and take note.
#2 Alessandro Del Piero
When the big money arrival of Alessandro Del Piero was announced for the inaugural edition, there were huge cheers across the country. Not only was Del Piero Delhi’s marquee signing, but his popularity also prompted ISL to recruit him as their brand ambassador.
Having played the majority of his career for Juventus, his move to Sydney FC in the Australian League was surprising, but with the announcement that he would be part of the Delhi Dynamos team in the ISL, he definitely became the biggest name to have graced the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League, creating a big buzz in the Indian sub-continent.
One of the few loyalists in football, Del Piero spent a good 20 years with his beloved club Juventus, for whom he netted 208 times in 513 appearances. He led the side on several occasions and managed to bag all the laurels possible with the club, winning 6 Serie A titles, 1 Serie B crown, 1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup along with several other domestic medals. What completes his trophy haul though is the World Cup he won with Italy in 2006.
Although Pinturicchio, as he is fondly known, is not a part of any of the ISL outfits this season, he is closely associated with the league as its ambassador and is still a major crowd puller.
#1 Roberto Carlos
Known for his thunderbolt shooting and astute defence, Roberto Carlos is unarguably the biggest name associated with the Indian Super League to date. From scoring a physics defying free-kick against France back in 1998 to now managing the Delhi Dynamos outfit, Roberto Carlos has had a fairly long and glorious career. But never did one expect to see him play and manage in India, having achieved everything in the field of football.
If the name of Del Piero wasn’t enough for the crowd, Roberto Carlos’ arrival sparked a new wave of excitement and energy. Such was the interest surrounding the Brazilian’s arrival that the city seems to be painted in his name with crowds waiting to rush to the stadium for a glimpse of the maestro.
The Brazilian has played for some big clubs, of which Real Madrid are the biggest and the one where he spent the most time. In the process, the full-back won 4 La Liga titles, 3 Champions League titles, 2 Intercontinental Cups and one UEFA Super Cup. For a defender, Carlos has a great goalscoring stats. The left-back scored 47 times in his 370 appearances for the Galacticos.
The bullet man has also featured in 125 games for Brail, netting 11 times in the process and winning the 2002 FIFA world Cup, Copa America in 1997 and 1999 Copa America and the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Carlos also comes on the back of player-manager experience with Anzhi Makhachkala and Sivasspor, which he now brings to the Delhi Dynamos outfit in their quest for the title.
