ISL 2020-21: Everything you need to know about Kerala Blasters midfielder Facundo Pereyra
Kerala Blasters have adopted an unconventional approach to their recruitment strategy ahead of the ISL 2020-21 season. The signing of Argentine attacker Facundo Pereyra is the best example of it.
33-year-old Pereyra is by no means a typical marquee big name in the ISL as he hasn't played in Europe's top leagues. However, he has a lot of experience playing in South America's competitive tournaments and is ready to bring his expertise to India.
Let us have a look at his career:
All you need to know about Facundo Pereyra
#1 Early days in South America
Facundo Pereyra began his football career at his local club, Club Atletico Estudiantes in 2006, but that wasn't where he gained significant first-team experience. His breakthrough came at Chilean club Palestino in 2009, although Facundo Pereyra's most significant spell early in his career came at Audax Italiano in 2011. The forward made 34 league appearances for it in the 2011-12 season and enjoyed a productive campaign, scoring 15 goals.
Unfortunately, Facundo Pereyra could not replicate his success after moving to San Luis in Mexico in early 2012, where he scored just three goals. Inconsistency and fluctuating form plagued Pereyra throughout the first half of his professional career.
Facundo Pereyra's poor form saw him move to his home nation, Argentina. A spell at Gimnasia La Plata saw him net fifteen goals and help the team get promoted to the top tier of Argentinean football from the second division in 2012.
Pereyra continued with La Plata in the 2013-14 season, and scored nine goals in the top tier before moving to Europe to join Greek club PAOK.
#2 Best phase of career in Greece
It was here that Facundo Pereyra played arguably the best football of his career, starting in 29 games and scoring 12 goals in his first season with PAOK in 2014. He also featured in the UEFA Europa League, where he scored against Moldovan club Zimbru.
Unfortunately, that was to be the peak of Pereyra's career with PAOK. He kept searching for a club where he could regularly play first team football again and that took him to Azerbaijan, Argentina and Mexico through the next six years. A return to Gimnasia in 2018 also did not prove to be as successful as he had hoped.
As Facundo Pereyra now signs for Kerala Blasters from Apollon Limassol in the Cypriot first division, he aims to find his scoring feet in a league which is sure to be intense. With his ability to play across the front three attacking positions as well as number 10, he will certainly add a very interesting dimension to the Blasters' attack.