Indian Super League (ISL) club Odisha FC have completed the signing of Brazilian striker Marcelinho Leite Pereira. The star player ends his stint with Hyderabad FC to sign a deal with the Bhubaneswar-based club.
Marcelinho has 31 goals and 17 assists under his belt in 63 ISL matches. The Brazilian is known for his knack of goal scoring and is unsurprisingly third on the list of top goal scorers in the league
The striker made a promising start to his career playing for the reserves side of La Liga club Atletico Madrid. However, he could not break into the first team and later moved to Greece, playing for clubs like Kalamata, Xanthi FC and Atromitos. Marcelinho also had brief spells at Baniyas Club in the UAE, Catania in Italy, and Brazilian side Anapolis, before coming to India.
He hit the ground running with a stellar debut season in the ISL, scoring 10 goals and clinching the golden boot. Since then, he has featured for Pune City FC, and Hyderabad FC, who decided not to renew his contract at the end of last season.
Pleased with the new signing, Odisha FC President Rohan Sharma said, “Life can be strange and beautiful. After a long time, it’s great to have Marcelinho back. The last time we were together, he set the league ablaze with his skills and goals. Now he has become the third-highest goalscorer in the ISL and I am sure he will bang some more in this season. He still has a lot to offer with his vision and scoring, and we both want to bring the trophy to Odisha this season.”
Delighted to get his man, Head Coach Stuart Baxter stated, “With good experience of Indian football and a record that is admired by many, Marcelinho represents a good signing on all fronts.”
Marcelinho is looking forward to the new season and is keen to impress the fans. “I am very motivated for the challenge. I really want to do well with my new team and new coach. I hope that we have an amazing season ahead and I can’t wait for this,” he said.
Notably, Marcelinho made his ISL debut for Delhi Dynamos FC, the club which subsequently shifted its base to Bhubaneswar, forming Odisha FC.