MARGAO: Manuel Friedrich must have needed a lot of coaxing to leave the hugely-successful confines of German football and land here in India where the country once made worldwide news for its refusal to participate in the 1950 World Cup because the players were not comfortable playing in boots.

At 34, Friedrich is not yet "out of circulation" in world football and could have so easily continued playing in top-flight German football. Till last season, he was with Borussia Dortmund and not too long was in the squad that defeated Real Madrid in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Yet, strangely, he finds himself plying his trade in India and for all you know could continue for some time.

"Generally, I am open to everything," the former German international told TOI, asked whether he would be willing to listen to offers from interested I-League clubs once the Indian Super League culminates on December 20.

"My first priority is to play a good tournament and make Mumbai City FC the champions which is very much a possibility. There is no fixed future for me and I will take a call after the final," said Friedrich, the first German to play competitive football in the subcontinent.

Football in India -- even with the ISL around -- remains vastly different to what it is in Germany and he admits comparisons are unfair.

"It’s not comparable," he told a French journalist, detailing his surprise at fireworks exploding everywhere at their home ground even when Mumbai City FC conceded a goal!

"Here it’s different kind of football. The ISL is being staged to increase the game’s popularity. It’s not easy and every start is always difficult but so far we’ve done a good job," he said.

"a lot of people are trying to come to the stadiums, the atmosphere is great but it’s not comparable to international football, especially Germany where it’s the No. 1 sport. May be, some time in the future, we will come here and football will be the number one or two sport. We can try to get some people away from cricket to football. That’s possible," he said.