East Bengal sign Javier Siverio, Saul Crespo

Indian Super League (ISL) side East Bengal have signed Spanish footballers Javier Siverio and Saul Crespo on free transfers for the upcoming season.

Alongside Borja Herrera and Cleiton Silva, the Kolkata club now have a formidable overseas contingent with the onboarding of Siverio and Crespo.

Forward Siverio helped Hyderabad FC (HFC) win their maiden Hero ISL title in his debut season (2021-22) in India. The 25-year-old graduated from the UD Las Palmas academy in 2015 and represented Spanish teams such as Las Palmas B, Racing Santander B and Racing Santander before moving to HFC ahead of the 2021-22 season. He has 12 goals to his name in 45 Hero ISL appearances.

Siverio, who scored 9 times for HFC across all competitions last season, expressed his excitement at joining Emami East Bengal. He said, “It’s an honour for me to join this century-old club. India is a great country and I am thrilled to continue my journey in the ISL."

Central midfielder Saul played a pivotal role in OFC’s maiden Hero ISL playoff qualification and recent Hero Super Cup triumph. Born in Ponferrada, Saul played for Spanish clubs like Ponferradina, Atletico Astorga and Arandina before making his foray into the Hero ISL last year.

The 26-year-old played 2,054 minutes and bagged 3 goals and 2 assists in 26 matches across all tournaments last season.

Emami East Bengal Head Coach Carles Cuadrat said, “Siverio has been a fine goal-getter ever since he arrived in India. He has adapted himself to the rigors of the ISL after two years of playing here. I believe he will help to bolster our attack significantly. Saul, too, knows the competitiveness of the ISL and has played a key part in the midfield, which helped Odisha FC win the Super Cup."