Odisha FC have announced the signing of Spanish winger Aridai Cabrera Suarez ahead of the 2021/22 Indian Super League season. Aridai has previously played for the likes of Girona, Valencia B, Mallorca, and Las Palmas in his homeland.
The 32-year-old arrives after enjoying successful spells in Spain’s lower divisions. He represented Las Palmas during the 2020/21 season, for whom he made 31 appearances and scored two goals.
Aridai spoke to the Odisha FC media team upon his arrival, stating his excitement to meet and play with his new teammates.
“I am very happy to sign for Odisha FC and I am really excited to play in India. I want to meet my teammates soon and start preparing for the upcoming season. We will definitely make sure that Odisha FC does well in the next ISL,”
Aridai said.
New Odisha FC head coach Kiko Ramirez also spoke on the move, pin-pointing Aridai’s abilities as a player and the potential impact he can have on the league.
“He is a footballer with a very refined technical quality and capable of surpassing the opponents with his feints. He is a dribbler and with his speed, we can say that he is a different footballer. If he is motivated and people are with him, he can have a big impact in the ISL,”
Ramirez stated.
Odisha FC arrivals this summer:
Ramirez will hope that the new recruits give Odisha the push they need to contend for the playoffs this season. Odisha finished last in the 2020/21 ISL, winning just two of their two matches. They conceded 44 goals – by far the worst in the division – and scored just 25, six of which came in the season’s final game against East Bengal.