ISL: Hyderabad FC Sign Spanish Midfielder Lluis Sastre on One-year Deal

Hyderabad FC announced the signing of 34-year-old Spanish midfielder Luis Sastre on Tuesday for the upcoming 2020-21 season of the Indian Super League. The Spaniard has penned down a one-year deal with the ISL club. A Barca youth product, Sastre has also played in the La Liga where he scored one goal. He joins Hyderabad FC from Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.

Sastre has also played 209 games in La Liga 2 and scored six goals and made four assists. Coming from the La Masia academy, Sastre featured for FC Barcelona’s youth teams including a two-year stint with FC Barcelona B (2005-07). He then signed with Real Zaragoza from where he joined SD Huesca on loan initially before making a permanent move after a promotion clinching season. He then joined Real Valladolid in 2012.

Following a three-year spell with Valladolid, he moved to Leganes (2015-17), helping them to a promotion to La Liga, before achieving the same feat in his second spell with Huesca (2016-19). He made his first overseas move in 2018-19 when he joined Cypriot side AEK Larnaca helping them to a runner-up finish in his first season.

“I am very happy and excited to be able to play for Hyderabad FC in this season of the ISL. I have heard a lot of good things and I am already looking forward to starting training and meeting my teammates and the coach and working towards our goals,” said Sastre who becomes the third new foreign signing for the season after Joao Victor and Joel Chianese.

“I come to HFC with the desire to contribute with my experience and hard work, and help the team and have a good season to achieve good things for all our fans,” added Sastre who has also featured for the Spanish U19 national team.

Hyderabad’s Spanish coach Manolo Marquez was confident about the qualities that Sastre will bring to the squad. “He’s a central midfielder with a lot of quality, and likes to arrive in the rival box too. Technically, he is a fantastic player and has played for FC Barcelona’s B team. He has always been an important player in all the teams that he has played for. We expect not just good football from Lluis, but experience and leadership will also be some of the things that he will bring to HFC.”