KOLKATA: East Bengal FC has signed Spanish midfielder Victor Vazquez until the end of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season, the club announced on Wednesday.
“Victor is a product of FC Barcelona’s style of football. He is a player from the generation of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas. His creativity in the midfield will offer many moments of joy and brilliance to the East Bengal supporters.
“He is accustomed to playing on the big stage, having played in the UEFA Champions League before and we believe that he will shine in the ISL too,” East Bengal’s head coach Carles Cuadrat said.
Vazquez rose through the youth ranks at FC Barcelona and was part of the iconic La Masia batch that comprised Messi, Fabregas and Pique. He was promoted to Barcelona’s first team by Pep Guardiola in 2008 and scored his first goal for FCB’s first team against FC Rubin Kazan in the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League group stage.
In April 2011, Vazquez joined the Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge. Representing Club Brugge in 173 official matches, Vazquez registered 25 goals and 50 assists, guiding them to a Belgian Cup (2014-15) and a Belgian Pro League (2015-16) title.
He was also instrumental in taking Club Brugge to the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals and was voted the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year.
After leaving Club Brugge, Vazquez has played for several clubs like Mexico’s Cruz Azul, Al-Arabi and Umm Salal SC, and Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and LA Galaxy.
“I am very happy to join Emami East Bengal. I have heard about the illustrious history of the club and the incredible passion of the fans from Coach Carles. I am excited to make my mark in Indian football and contribute to this iconic club’s success,” he said.