Frenchman Dietrich Already Proving Himself in Mongolia

Dietrich on his league debut

Excitement was high on 16 August 2024. There was one match scheduled for the day. It was last year's champions SP Falcons taking on 2023 winners FC Ulaanbaatar. Both clubs had made big signings during the summer transfer window in hopes of repeating their recent success. The new MPL season had begun.

Fans, surprisingly, watched a mostly defensive battle with a goalless score line fifty minutes into the match. Finally, there was a breakthrough. FCU earned a corner that was well-taken. New addition Enzo Dietrich got on the end of it to put it in off the post for the 1-0 lead. The goal stood as the game-winner at the end of regulation with Ulaanbaatar earning three very valuable points against arguably its biggest competitor.

It is no surprise that Dietrich was named the Man of the Match. Not only did he score the only goal of the contest, earning the victory, he lead the defense that earned a shutout against last season's highest scoring team. It is also no surprise that his goal came from a header as the 22-year-old French-born defender stands at 2.00m (6ft 5in). He is already at the top of one statistical category; he is now the tallest player in the entire Premier League.

So who is Dietrich and how did a young European player find himself in the Mongolian capital? It was not by chance or accident as he himself sought out the club in hopes of playing in Asia.

Born in Strasbourg, France, Dietrich began his career with local club SC Schiltigheim where he remained until 2019. At that point he made the jump to Portugal, joining ARC São Vicente Pereira where he played with the youth sides before joining the first team. It was with this club that he waited out the COVID-19 stoppage.

In 2022, the young defender had brief stints with AA Avanca and AD Nogueirense before landing at SC Paivense. He experienced his biggest challenge of his career with the latter, but it was not on the pitch that Dietrich struggled. Two months after joining Paivense, he left the club because of the living conditions provided to him; namely shorting him on salary payments and providing a 3-bedroom accommodation for nine players.

After leaving the club, he joined the under-23 side of CCR Válega at for which he served as club captain throughout the season and scored four goals in twenty-six matches.

Despite finding a stable club and on-field success, it was not what Dietrich had been dreaming of. Rather than miring away in Europe's lower leagues with no opportunities, visibility, or respect, he dreamed of playing in Asia. Dietrich saw the continent from the viewpoint of amazing culture and endless opportunities.

Dietrich did not sit back and wait for the opportunities to find him; he actively began the search for clubs in Asia. Soon thereafter he connected with FC Ulaanbaatar's management. Both sides knew very quickly that the club and player were a great fit for each other. Wasting no time, Dietrich was in Mongolia with a signed contract within one week of initial contact.

When asked why he chose FC Ulaanbaatar, Dietrich answer that it is a big, recognizable club with a lot of ambition. Talking about how the Mongolian playing style compares to Europe, he says it is very physical like the lower tiers of English football and less technical as in France and Portugal. He simply described it as "intense".

Personally, he is settling in well in Mongolia. According to Dietrich, the lifestyle is very different from Europe...in a good way. The Mongolian capital is beautiful and surrounded by amazing landscapes and nature.

With the first match behind him and the nerves more calm, Dietrich and the club will have high expectations for the rest of the season. It will be another challenge on Matchday 2 as FCU take on last year's runners-up Khangarid FC, another club gunning for top spot and a place in the AFC Cup next season. Will Dietrich achieve one of his goals of continental football in one season or is it not quite his time yet? Either way, FC Ulaanbaatar with Dietrich on defense will be interesting to watch all season.

Dietrich (center) celebrating his game-winning goal on matchday 1

Enzo Dietrich Careeer

Youth-2019 SC Shiltigheim (youth)

2019-2020 ARC São Vicente Pereira (youth)

2021-2022 ARC São Vicente Pereira

2022-2023 AA Avanca

2022-2023 AD Nogueirense

2023 SC Paivense

2023-2024 CCR Válega (Under-23)

2024-2025 FC Ulaanbaatar