Category: Transfer News

by Abhishek Shukla

Mohammedan SC adds French flavour to side; signs Alexandre Tabillon

 

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club has completed the signing of midfielder Alexandre Tabillon for the rest of the season. The club has also completed his reigistration process at IFA Office on Monday and he will be avalaible for selection against Southern Samity on Wednesday.

The Paris born is the only second French footballer in Kolkata maidan after Bernard Mendy who played for East Bengal last season, has moved out of Europe for the first time in his career.

“I am thankful to the Mohammedan Sporting Club for this opportunity. It is a new challenge for me and I am looking forward to it. I have heard a lot about Indian football and really wanted to be a part of it. I hope to have a great stint with the club and help the club in winning the CFL,” Alexandre said.

The 25-year old has started his career at now dissolved French club Gap Hautes-Alpes FC in 2009. From there he went onto play for the French fouth tier club FC Villefranche before joining French League 2 club Tours FC in 2015. Alexandre also plied his trade in Romania at Romanian Liga 2 side FC UTA Arad.

“We are very happy to welcome Alexandre at the Mohammedan Sporting Club. With Leonce Dodoz and Manvir Singh we believe he will be a crucial player for the success of the team.” Club General Secretary Mr. Ghazal uz Zafar said.

 Photo By Santanu Biswas.

by Abhishek Shukla

Delhi Dynamos F.C. sign 2006 World Cup Winner Simone Barone

ISL MEDIA TEAM

The Delhi Dynamos Football Club continued its endeavour at strengthening the squad for the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League, by appointing another 2006 World Cup winning midfielder Simone Barone as their Assistant Coach.

The club has also announced the signing of Sebastian Delgado of Spain and Italian Roberto Ghielmetti as the Goalkeeping Coach and Fitness Coach respectively for the new season, while Mario Cerra of Italy will be the new Team Manager as well as the Medico Assistant.

This strengthens the existing coaching staff duo of Raman Vijayan and Shakti Chauhan who have been with the club since its inception. The coaches have played a vital role as the Technical Directors of the club’s grassroots initiatives as well.

Italian Simone Barone will work as an assistant to World Cup winning compatriot, Gianluca Zambrotta, who was signed up as the Head Coach of the Delhi Dynamos F.C. The two played for Italy in the 2006 World Cup, where they beat France on penalties in the dramatic final.

“I am delighted to join the Delhi Dynamos team. This is my first senior team coaching stint and I am really looking forward to it,” Barone said. “I am thankful to the club management for this opportunity. I am really excited about this new phase of my career and hope to assist the team to its first title in the ISL” he added.

Simone Barone, a veteran of 356 club games with a total goal tally of 23, started his career in 1997. After a career spanning over nearly 15 years, he hung up his boots in 2012. After his retirement, he went on to coach the Modena U-19 team.

The 38-year-old has featured in many top clubs in Italy, including Palermo, Torino, Cagliari and Chievo. Known for his energy and stamina, he was admired for his versatility: he could operate from multiple positions in the midfield, be it central midfield, right wing or deeper in a defensive role.

Sebastian Delgado arrives at the club with a huge reputation after being involved in high profile assignments, namely being the Director of Keepers Academy of the Finnish giants HJK Helsinki. Incidentally, Delhi Dynamos star of the last season Richard Gadze is on loan to Helsinki. The Spaniard is the personal coach of Toni Doblas and lot of credit goes to him for Doblas’ extremely good work between the sticks last season, where he missed on the golden glove by whiskers. He will look to weave the same magic on Sanjiban Ghosh and Soram Poirei and turn them into a solid wall in the upcoming season.

Roberto Ghielmetti, who will be responsible for keeping the squad fit and devoid of injuries during the season, was selected by Zambrotta himself, owing to his experience and credibility. The Italian holds a masters degree in sports science from the University of Turin and started his career at U-16 squad of Team Ticino and continued his career at the club eventually becoming the Fitness Coach for the U-16, U-17, and U-18 teams. He was also served as the fitness coach of the FC Locarno, FC Lugano, AC Spezia, and AC Bellinzona in his career before starting this new chapter with Delhi Dynamos F.C.

“I am very happy to work with Gianluca. I am looking forward to a successful season with the club,” said Ghielmetti.

by Abhishek Shukla

Atlético de Kolkata reinforce the squad with Spanish Centre Forward Juan Belencoso

 

Kolkata, 25 th August, 2016: The champions of inaugural edition and the semi finalist of the second season of Indian Super League, Atlético de Kolkata, announced today the signing of Spanish Centre Forward Juan Belencoso and added more fervor in their strong International line up of players.

Known for his hard working nature and skills, Belencoso is a fan favourite with his clinical finishes and played for Kitchee FC in Hong Kong. Belencoso also played for sides like Albacete Balompié, UB Conquense, CD Lugo and Cádiz CF. From 2002 to 2008, following a brief spell in Portugal, Juan Belencoso competed mainly in Segunda División B, representing in that level Real Jaén, Mérida UD, CE L’Hospitalet and CD Baza. After the announcement of signing dynamic Indian players and retaining seven international recruits including marquee player for this season now the addition of Belencoso will add to the composition and strength of the team.

“On behalf of the team management we welcome Belencoso to Atlético de Kolkata which will help us in further developing the nucleus of the team this year. My association with his style of football goes back to the Kitchee FC days in Hong Kong. He had been one of the most consistent performers and had been nominated as AFC Foreign Player of the Year. With Postiga and now Belencoso I feel the need for the right strikers has been precisely addressed.” – José Molina, Head Coach, Atlético de Kolkata.

About Juan Belencoso

Born in Elche de la Sierra, Albacete, Belencoso started playing as a senior with amateurs Deportivo Rayo Cantabria. From 2002 to 2008, following a brief spell in Portugal, he competed mainly in Segunda División B, representing in that level Real Jaén, Mérida UD, CE L’Hospitalet and CD Baza. Belencoso reached Segunda División for the first time in the 2008–09 seasons, signing with local Castile-La Mancha club Albacete Balompié. He made his debut in the competition on 31 August 2008, coming in as a late substitute in a 2–1 home win against Sevilla Atlético, but only scored twice in the league over the course of two full seasons.

Belencoso returned to division three for the following years, playing with UB Conquense, CD Lugo and Cádiz CF. He achieved promotion with the second team after scoring 14 goals, three in the playoffs. On 9 July 2013, Belencoso became coach Àlex Gómez’s first foreign signing of the new campaign as he joined Kitchee SC in Hong Kong. He became a regular scorer for Kitchee and fired them to the domestic treble last season including two goals in the FA Cup final against Eastern. In terms of continental football, in the AFC Cup 2014, his eleven goals helped propel Kitchee to the semi-final stage where they eventually succumbed. Belencoso models his style of football on Robert Lewandowski.

Head Coach:  José Molina
Squad as on 25.08.16
Domestic Players
1. Shilton Paul
2. Jewel Raja
3. Pritam Kotal
4. Debjit Majumder
5. Bikramjit Singh
6. Bidyananda Singh Ningthoujam
7. Kingshuk Debnath
8. Arnab Mandal
9. Bikash Jairu
10. Lalrindika Ralte (Dika)
11. Robert Lalthlanumna
12. Prabir Das
13. Keegan Pereira
14. Abinash Ruidas
Foreign Players
1. Hélder Postiga (marquee)
2. Iain Hume
3. Sameegh Doutie
4. Ofentse Nato
5. Tiri
6. Stephen Pearson
7. Dani Mallo
8. Pablo José Gallardo Zurera
9. Borja Fernández
10. Javi Lara
11. Juan Belencoso

Atletico De Kolkata Press Release

by Abhishek Shukla

ISL: FC GOA CONFIRMS THE TWIN SIGNINGS OF REINALDO AND SUBHASHISH ROY FOR HERO ISL 3.

Panaji, 23 rd August 2016: FC GOA has confirmed the signings of Brazilian forward Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira

and goalkeeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury. The Brazilian has re-signed with the club on the back of a

successful season where he topped the scoring charts by notching up seven goals during the campaign. His

outstanding moment of the season came when he scored a brilliant hat trick against Kerala Blasters in a 5-1

win. The 37-year- old joins the likes of Robin Singh in attack and will be expected to lead the charge again for

the Goan club, for whom he made 10 appearances last season.

Said Reinaldo, “I’m very happy to continue this journey with FC Goa. Last season, we had a very good campaign

and fell marginally short. We want to take that extra step forward this year and go all the way. With Zico

coming back, there is a familiarity to the setup once again and a certain comfort level with the rest of the team.

The Goan crowds were a big influence on us last year and we are relying on the same continued support this

season to help us achieve us goals. I’m looking forward to an intense pre-season campaign to get us ready for

when the ball starts rolling.”

Subhashish Roy Chowdhury is a new signing, having previously plied his trade with Atletico De Kolkata in the

past two seasons of the Hero ISL. He was part of the squad that were crowned champions in the inaugural

edition and was also involved in the second season before an injury curtailed his season. He brings a wealth of

experience with him and is expected to provide local boy Laxmikanth Kattimani with stiff competition for a

place in between the sticks. The 29-year- old has been capped four times by the national team and is looking to

use this season as a platform to regain his place.

A spokesperson for FC Goa said, “We are pleased to retain Reinaldo. Zico was impressed with his

performances on the pitch last year and asked that he come back. Subhashish is also a great addition to the

squad. We wanted to get a proven goalkeeper in and that’s what we’ve got. We are happy with the

composition of the squad so far and have some further signings to come.”

FC GOA PRESS RELEASE

by Abhishek Shukla

Bengaluru sign promising nineteen-year-old Gursimrat

Vishal Kumar, Darren Caldeira Return To Blues’ Fold On Short-Term Deals

Bengaluru: Staying true to its philosophy of promoting and honing young talent, Bengaluru FC have signed promising defender Gursimrat Singh (19) on a one-year deal, the club announced Tuesday. The I-League champions also added to the squad by signing familiar faces in defender Vishal Kumar and midfielder Darren Caldeira on short-term deals.

A regular in the India under-19 squad between 2014-15, Gursimrat spent five years at the Chandigarh Football Academy before being drafted into the AIFF Regional Academy in Navi Mumbai from where he went on to represent the country. He was also part of the AIFF squad that won the Under-19 I-League in 2015. “I am thrilled that I have signed my first professional contract with the best club in India. I am looking forward to learning and growing every day. This is a big chance for me early in my career and I am focused on making the most of it,” said Singh, who hails from Ludhiana.

Gursimrat was part of the SAFF Cup-winning India side of 2015 and also represented the country in the Under-19 AFC Championship in Palestine in the same year.

Caldeira, a Bengaluru player from 2013-2015, makes a return to the Blues after spending last season with Mumbai FC. Meanwhile local lad Vishal penned an extended deal after his three-year contract with the Blues ran out earlier in May.

Bengaluru head coach Albert Roca said the side could do with the new additions given the big AFC Cup game is less than a month away. “The club’s philosophy is to give young talent a stage and I believe that’s exactly what Gursimrat has got. He is talented, works hard and wants to keep improving which is a good sign for anyone taking the professional path. It’s also good to have Vishal and Darren back with the team. They have been with the club before but are working hard to bring value add to the squad which is what we need ahead of the AFC Cup tie,” he said.

BFC PRESS RELEASE

by Abhishek Shukla

ISL: FC Goa confirms the signing of Fulganco Cardozo and Sahil Tavora

 

Panaji: FC GOA has confirmed the signings of Goan players Sahil Tavora and Fulganco Cardozo for Season 3 of the Indian Super League.

Local lad Sahil Tavora is FC Goa’s selection for the U-23 player that every ISL squad is mandated to have. The 21-year-old has been plying his trade with Dempo previously and was part of the team that gained promotion to the I-League earlier in the year

Speaking of his new team Tavora said, “I’m delighted at the prospect of signing for the club. This is a team that is led by one of the greats of the game and there is a lot to learn from. It is packed with experienced players and I’m excited at the opportunity of working with them. We have performed consistently well for the past two seasons and we want to achieve the same sort of success this season. I’m looking forward to playing my part in a successful campaign. Being a Goan, to represent FC Goa is a proud moment for me.”

The Dempo midfielder Sahil Tavora is the latest signing to be announced. At 17, Tavora was one of the youngest players ever to sign a professional contract with the Golden Eagles. Hehas attended training camps at Liverpool FC and at a second division club in Brazil. The highlight of the youngster’s short career so far came when he scored a brilliant individual goal for Goa-India versus Macau in the 2014 Lusofonia Games.

Fulganco Cardozo hailing from Verna currently plays for Sporting Club de Goa in the I-League and is a member of the Indian national football team as a centre back. Carodozo made his debut for India in the match against Laos earlier this year. He scored his first goal for the India in the same match in 87th minute. Fulganco is a product of the Sesa Football Academy in Goa.

Said Fulganco on the signing “It’s a great opportunity for me in my career development. Playing alongside some of the best talent in football, be it from India or abroad is an excellent opportunity to further develop my footballing skills I feel I have made some positive strides this year and I hope I can continue in the same vein during the ISL. As a team, we want to go out there and perform for the Goan people. We want to bring the trophy home for them. That will be our aim this season.”

by Abhishek Shukla

DSK Shivajians FC Sign Former Irish Youth International Shane McFaul

 

Pune, India – DSK Shivajians Football Club have announced the signing of former Irish youth international Shane McFaul for a two-year term (2016-18). The midfielder joins the Pune-based squad after plying his trade in England, United States of America, Finland and Ireland.

His playing career so far has been decorated with two major honours with Irish sides. The first being an FAI Cup winner with Sporting Fingal (2009), followed by the League of Ireland Premier Division title with Dublin-based St. Patrick’s Athletic FC in 2013.

Other teams Shane has represented during his career include; Notts County and Brighton & Hove Albion FC in England and Finland Premier League sides FC KTP (Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat) and FC Haka.

For the record, Shane has been capped numerous times as a youth player at various levels (Under 14 to 21) for the Republic of Ireland.

The 30-year-old is a ball-winning midfielder who is equally adept distribution and thus, becomes the second foreign player to be signed by DSK Shivajians FC for the season ahead. Earlier, the club renewed the contract of Spaniard winger Juan Quero.

The central midfielder began his career playing local club football in Ireland when he caught the eye of League One side Notts County, and was promoted to the senior squad in 2002 at the age of 16. In 2005, he moved to American side Virginia Beach Mariners, where he spent a year, before signing for UCD Dublin. In January 2008, he signed for Brighton and Hove Albion FC where he made his debut in a 3-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra.

Later that year, he sealed a move back to UCD Dublin before moving to Sporting Fingal for the 2009-10 season. He then moved to St. Patrick’s Athletic FC in 2011. In 2012, he had a successful stint in Finland with FC Haka which led to St Patick’s Athletic FC bringing him back for another season. In 2014, he signed for FC KTP in Finland and captained the side in 2016 and played a major part in their promotion-winning campaign, before turning his eyes to the Indian subcontinent and landing a contract at DSK Shivajians FC.

First Team Manager Dave Rogers, said: “I am thrilled to have signed Shane McFaul. I have monitored Shane’s progress since he was a young player in the League of Ireland Premier Division and his rise and progress in England and Finland.

Shane is a fantastic leader on and off the pitch and an all round midfield player possessing all the attributes I was looking for. His profile and character makes him the perfect signing in my philosophy and direction on how I intend to take the club forward.

He possesses excellent game intelligence and awareness both in and out of possession. Shane’s influence and passion will be felt throughout the whole club especially the younger players who have developed through our academy system. His presence, knowledge and sole professionalism will have a positive impact overall.

I look forward to working with Shane daily and in the long term.”

Shirish Kulkarni, President, DSK Shivajians FC, added: “I would like to welcome Shane to India, the DSK family and wish him all the very best for the season ahead. Shane’s experience of playing several leagues in Europe will help with the balance of the squad. He will have an important role to play and has a lot to offer.”

Shane McFaul expressed his joy at signing for DSK Shivajians FC. “I am absolutely honoured to have this amazing opportunity to come and play for DSK Shivajians FC.

It was always something I wanted to do… come and play in Asia as I’ve played in many other footballing cultures and now, in India.

Once I spoke to Dave about his plans and the project I knew at once I really wanted to be part of this club.

I know the I-League is a growing league and I am very excited for the new season as Manager Dave Rogers is assembling a top quality squad for the season. There are a lot of talented young players and many internationals players.

I’ve been blown away by the facilities at DSK, the best of any club that I have played for.

With the experience Dave (Rogers) and Barry (Knowles) have, I know I am going to improve so much as a player and I am sure we are going to have a strong campaign.”

McFaul has already joined the squad for pre-season at the DSK Dream City Football Fields.

by Abhishek Shukla

ISL: FC Goa confirms the signing of Mandar Rao Dessai, Romeo Fernandes and Laxmikant Kattimani

 

Panaji, 17 th AUGUST 2016: FC GOA has confirmed a trio of signings with the club tying up deals for Romeo Fernandes, Mandar Rao Dessai and Laxmikanth Kattimani. The trio have risen sharply through the ranks in the past two seasons and are seen as vital components of the team. All three players featured heavily last season with Kattimani being Zico’s preferred choice as his custodian between the sticks.

The Vasco lad said, “I’m very pleased that Zico has trusted me with the responsibilities in between the sticks again. The setup last year was great and that was one of the prime reasons for me re- signing with the club. And one doesn’t get to experience the atmosphere of Fatorda anywhere else in the country so that was a definite plus. We nearly won the ISL last year in front of our home crowd but fell just short. I’m sure this year we will mount a similar challenge. We want to give Goa the trophy that the fans of football here so richly deserve.” Dessai was also a key figure with the club and chipped in with two assists to go along with his three goals and made 14 appearances in a campaign that nearly culminated in the club winning the title. He has since gone on to start in Dempo’s successful push to return to the 1 st Division of the I-League and has recently returned from a trip to Spain where he worked with Spanish La Liga side, Villareal.

Speaking of his re-signing, Mandar said, “I’m delighted to re-sign with the club. Being a Goan and to be able to play in front of my home crowd is a thrill that I can’t easily explain. I feel like I’ve been improving my skills with each passing game and can’t wait to get into the season. The training camp in Spain with Villarreal was a huge boost for me and certainly learnt a lot there under Carlos Perez, who coached me there. I believe, with Zico back and with a good pre-season ahead of us, the team will look to go all the way this time.”

Fernandes, who shot to fame in the first season of the ISL was also a constant menace on the right wing throughout the season. His ability to accelerate was particularly felt by Delhi Dynamos, against whom he scored two goals in the matter of minutes having just come on in the final match of the group stages. He was also responsible for laying on the assist that got FC Goa on level terms in the final at Fatorda.

The Assolna native said, “I’m happy to be back at FC Goa again. We’ve had two brilliant campaigns in the past two editions and we certainly want to repeat that performance if not better it. We had great team chemistry last year and we were very focused on our objectives. We want to work up that same intensity during pre-season and we want to be in prime shape when the campaign gets underway.”

Speaking at the re-signing of the trio, a spokesperson of the club said, “We are delighted that the three have re-signed with us. They have been a part of this club and its journey since the very beginning and have grown with us. They have become a part of the identity of this club and we are glad that they will continue to be a part of that this season. It’s great that we continue to have that distinct Goan flavour within the team.”

FC GOA PRESS RELEASE