ISL 2018: Pune City bring in former NorthEast defender Martin Diaz
What's the story?
FC Pune City have completed the signing of defender Martin Diaz. The Uruguayan links up with the Stallions ahead of the 2018/19 Indian Super League season.
In case you didn't know...
The Uruguayan defender Diaz was the captain of his nation's U17 team when they took part in the 2005 FIFA U16 World Cup.
Diaz has spent the majority of his career playing in his native Uruguay, with a couple of stints in foreign lands. He last played for Indian Super League side NorthEast United.
The heart of the matter
FC Pune City announced, via Twitter, that they have completed the signing of defender Martin Diaz. The Uruguayan is no stranger to the ISL, having played sixteen times for NorthEast United last season.
New coach Miguel Angel Portugal had this to say regarding Diaz to the Pune City website:
"I have seen Martin last season and what impressed me is his work ethic and adaptability. He is never short of energy and brings in a lot of experience, which will help the young players of our team. I welcome him to our club and hope he makes a positive impact on the club as well as its fans."
The defender himself was also overjoyed at the prospect of signing for Pune City, a team he believed was moving on the right track.
"After witnessing what FC Pune City achieved last season, I felt the club was really moving along well. After meeting them, I realised their professional approach to everything in and around the club helped them achieve what they did. I am excited to join my new team and equally thrilled about accepting this new challenge," Diaz told the FC Pune City website.
Speaking to the Pune City website, CEO Gaurav Modwel also welcomed Diaz to the club, “Martin will strengthen our defence with his vast experience in South America, Europe and of course an entire season in ISL. He is versatile and can play either as centre-back or a defensive midfielder. He is technical and is good with playing the ball from the back, which suits our style of play.”
What's next?
Pune City broke into the top four for the first time last season. However, they were unable to reach the final, ultimately losing to Bengaluru FC.
The Stallions have made some interesting moves in the transfer market before the start of the next season, to ensure that they keep progressing. Seasoned ISL players Iain Hume and Robin Singh have already been brought on board; and now with the signing of defender Martin Diaz, the Orange Army look set to continue their march towards the ISL summit.
Do you think that the signing of Diaz will bolster the FC Pune City backline? Do let us know in the comments section below.