Excitement was in the air at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai on Saturday. Fans of Mumbai City FC (MCFC) eagerly awaited their dearest Hero Indian Super League (ISL) club to unveil its new kit for the upcoming season. Upfront, the club’s CEO Indranil Das was happy to put the fans at ease, “Our pre-season training will take place in Dubai. I think it will be an ideal location. As part of our pre-season training, we’ll be playing 3-4 Dubai-based clubs.In a few minutes, the podium was graced by Indian national team captain and MCFC’s top ISL Auction signing this season, Sunil Chhetri, and their Brazilian import Andre Moritz who graced the cheering crowds with a hat-trick in their first home game last season. As they walked into the limelight, with the new blue-coloured jersey on, deafening chants from the fans created quite an atmosphere out there. “The jersey is really good; it fits really well. I am happy to be a part of Mumbai City FC this season and I hope to give my best,” asserted Chhetri.Amidst a lot of applause and cheers, the stage welcomed marquee player and head coach Nicolas Anelka and India’s ace goalkeeper Subrata Paul. Looking pretty comfortable in the jersey, Anelka was optimistic of the new season ahead, “The new head coach role will be tough but we have a big squad and a better team this year. We want to do better than last season and win the ISL this year!”Soon enough, the club’s co-owner Ranbir Kapoor made his way to the dais. The popular actor seemed visibly kicked about his team’s new colours as well. “The red that runs across the jersey represents the heartbeat of the city. The kit is comfortable, it fits great and it looks awesome.”Turning to his players, particularly Chhetri, he said, “We have some superstars that people look up to. Sunil Chhetri is one [such star]! I hope Andre [Moritz] scores a double hat-trick this season. And Anelka – we couldn’t have put [together] a better team this season. He was heavily involved in picking this year’s side.” Kapoor thanked the fans for their support in the inaugural edition and appealed for them to crowd the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in larger numbers this season.A fun activity with Chhetri, Anelka, Moritz and Paul followed and kept the gathering enthralled. The event concluded with a round of questions by the media for the dignitaries present. Mumbai City FC will play its first match of the 2015 season on October 5th in an away fixture against FC Pune City.Click here for the full gallery of the club’s kit launch.
