Spanish midfielder Juande signs for Kerala Blasters FC
Kerala Blasters FC have announced the signing of 34-year-old defensive midfielder Juan de Dois, popularly known as Juande. The Spaniard arrives as a replacement for Kerala Blasters club captain Sergio Cidoncha, who has been ruled out for the season due to injury.
Juande joins a star-studded Kerala Blasters lineup featuring Gary Hooper, Bakary Kone, and Costa Nhamionesu. Similar to Kerala Blasters teammate Vicente Gomez, Juande is a hard-tackling midfielder who provides cover for central defenders. Juande said he was excited to be a part of the Kerala Blasters.
βI am very excited to be a part of a great franchise like Kerala Blasters FC, a club which has the best fans in the entire country. I would like to thank the club management for this opportunity and can't wait to be there together with my teammates and the coaching staff to fight it out altogether," Juande said.
'Juande is a very experienced player' - Kerala Blasters sporting director Karolis Skinkys
Despite not having played a lot in the Spanish top-flight, Juande is a product of the Real Betis academy and has featured in the UEFA Champions League on a handful of occasions. Prior to signing for the Kerala Blasters, the 34-year-old spent two seasons in Australia with A-League side Perth Glory, where he was an integral part of the first-team.
Kerala Blasters sporting director Karolis Skinkys said he hoped that Juande can showcase some of the leadership skills that Sergio Cidoncha possessed at the start of the 2020/21 ISL season.
βJuande is a very experienced player who will be a good replacement for Cido. He will bring us his experience and maturity. He is a player who can play different roles across the midfield. Though he is joining the squad much later, I hope to see him showcase his leadership skills on the boys.β, said Karolis Skinkys, Sporting Director, Kerala Blasters FC.