Reigning Indian Super League champions Hyderabad FC announced on Monday that versatile Australian attacker Joel Chianese has signed a new deal with the club to extend his stay into the third season.
“I am very excited to be a part of the HFC family for another season. We’ve tasted success and now it’s an exciting challenge to see if we can reproduce that again,”
said the 32-year-old after signing a contract extension till the end of the 2022-23 season.
The right winger was introduced to the Indian top-flight division by the Nizams in 2020 and played a key role in the club’s two seasons under Manuel Marquez, helping the side to clinch the title last season.
The Spaniard’s trusted overseas option is Chinese, making it simple for the Australian to extend his stay with the Yellow and Black.
“I think Manolo has a way of getting the best out of the Indian players but also managing the foreign group very well. He’s very approachable and that goes a long way to creating a good relationship,”
the Australian was quoted, speaking about his bond with Marquez.
Chianese has already made 31 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing four assists, the majority of which have helped HFC win some crucial points, including the successful 2021-22 campaign.
He is a cheerful presence both on and off the field, and it’s no surprise that his No. 7 jersey is one of the most popular among the club’s supporters. He is already a fan favourite, and he hopes that the Gachibowli Stadium will be packed next season.
“We really can’t wait to play in front of you all at our home stadium. We have felt the support from afar the last two seasons held in the bio-bubble and now it’s time to be loud,”
added Chianese.
Chianese began his career in 2009 with Blacktown City before joining Sydney FC in 2011. He has since played for a number of clubs in the A-League. For a while, the wingman was relegated to the Sydney FC scrap heap, but when he moved to Perth Glory, he rose to prominence and was a key member of the team that won the A-League title in 2018-19.
