Delhi Dynamos' Malouda returns as marquee player

New Delhi: The Delhi Dynamos Football Club on Monday announced the return of the UEFA Champions League winner Florent Malouda as their Marquee player, for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League. His arrival will without doubt bolster the Lion's lineup given his performances and form with the Egyptian Premier League club Wadi Degla F.C. where he was out on loan after a stellar debut season with the Lions in the ISL season 2. Malouda, who had arrived at the club as one of the most high profile signings last season, recorded the most amounts of assist and was seen as a highly rated attacking midfielder. He featured in 16 games last year and provided eight assists and soon became a fan favorite due to exploits on the field. Club President Prashant Agarwal said, “Florent is a team player and he was an integral part of us reaching all the way till the semi-finals last season. His leadership both off & on the pitch is commendable. He is a true Lion and a favorite of our fans. I am sure everyone associated with DDFC is proud to have Malouda back with us!” “I am very excited to be back in India. It was a wonderful experience for me to play in the league last year and enjoyed it a lot. It was for the first time that I played outside Europe and to be honest I enjoyed it a lot,” Malouda said. “We had a very good squad last season and it was sad that we had to bow out of the tournament in the semis. It’s a different squad this year, I hope that we can build on what we achieved last season and together aim to lift the trophy this season.” the 36 year old winger added. Talking about playing under new coach, the Delhi Dynamos F.C. Marquee sounded optimistic and was quite hopeful that the club is poised for success under the leadership of Gianluca Zambrotta. “I have played against the Coach back in the 2006 World Cup finals and I am well versed with his style of attacking football. I strongly believe we will be a force to reckon with in this season of the Indian Super League” the Frenchman added. Gianluca Zambrotta, the Head Coach of the club was excited to have Malouda back in the squad and believed that his presence in the team will be of immense benefit to the youngsters in the team. “Malouda is a proven champion and a legend. He has won trophies at the highest level and HAS represented his country in two World Cups. I watched the games from last season and I am very impressed by his performances. He is really well adapted to this league, and that along with his invaluable experience is exactly what the team needs right now.” Gianluca said. The Frenchman has played for major clubs across Europe including Lyon and Chelsea. He won four consecutive Ligue 1 title with Lyon while he won the UEFA Champions League title with the Blues in 2012. He also appeared for France at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup. Malouda was one of the most impactful players for Delhi Dynamos F.C. and he carried his good form to his new side Wadi Degla F.C., where he was a regular starter for his manager Patrice Carteron and scored three goals in 10 appearances for the Egyptian side.