Bosnian defender Sipovic joins Chennaiyin on a one-year deal

Free agent Sipovic, whose previous spell was at Qatar top-division team Umm Salal SC, officially became a member of Chennaiyin on Monday. The towering central defender has penned a one-year deal with the two-time ISL champion and will line up alongside Brazilian Eli Sabia in the heart of the backline.

In an e-mail interaction with DT Next, Sipovic revealed that manager Csaba Laszlo played a pivotal role in convincing him to join CFC. “I had some encouraging conversations with Laszlo and that is the reason why I chose Chennaiyin. The head coach gave me a lot of reasons to join the club. I am sure that we will do well together at CFC,” he said.

The 30-year-old Sipovic, who has represented clubs in Romania, Belgium, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is set for an Indian football debut in the seventh edition of ISL. “I have played in three different continents – Europe, Africa and Asia. When I was in Qatar, I received many offers. And, I wanted India to be my next destination,” he added.

Set to become the first-ever Bosnian to grace the league, Sipovic expressed his desire to reside in India for at least the next few years. “I want to stay for as long as I can. My wife is extremely happy with my choice. Sometime later, I want to feel the atmosphere of the stadium, with fans in it. I play football because of them and for them,” Sipovic made his intentions clear with strong words.

Sipovic, Chennaiyin’s third signing of the summer transfer window, is a like-for-like replacement for former club captain and centre-back Lucian Goian. The overseas recruit stressed that he is ready to fill the big boots of Goian, in the closed-doors ISL.

“Goian is a great player and an amazing person. I had the opportunity to play against him early in my career in Romania. Obviously, we will miss him. But, I am confident of succeeding in the coming season. I want to show people that I am worthy,” said Sipovic.