Rumour: World Cup winner Carlos Marchena to sign for ISL side Kerala Blasters
Former Spain international defender Carlos Marchena is set to sign for Indian Super League team Kerala Blasters according to reports in Spain. The 35-year-old midfielder was a part of Spain’s 2010 World Cup and 2008 European winning squads. He even won the U-19 World Cup with the La Roja way back in 1999.
According to Marca, Marchena has already signed with Kerala Blasters for the second edition of the ISL. The report also said that the player had other options on the table as well but he was interested in taking up a new challenge in a new league.
Marchena started his career in Seville with his hometown team of Sevilla in 1997, but by this time he had already been at the club for seven years. He moved to Portuguese powerhouse Benfica in 2000 before returning to the country of his birth in 2001, this time with Valencia.
The next nine years were highly successful for Marchena as he won a Copa del Rey, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and two La Liga titles. Success followed with the national team as well with winning everything with the National team as well. In the 2008 European Championships, he was named in the Team of the Tournament as well.
He has short spells with Villareal and Deportivo La Coruna towards the end of his career as well helping the latter gain promotion into the La Liga.
Marchena has well over 500 senior team appearances at the club level and an additional 69 appearances for the National team as well.
Kerala did not acquire any player in the Hero ISL auction and look weaker than they looked in the first edition of the tournament. But the signing of the World Cup winner might come as welcome news for the South Indian outfit. ISL emerging player of the season Sandesh Jhingan might learn a great deal from the experienced defender.