Transfers
East Bengal signs former Barcelona player and Messi's teammate Victor Vazquez
Former Barcelona player and product of the famous La Masia Academy, Victor Vazquez has joined East Bengal FC for the rest of the ISL season.
East Bengal FC has roped in experienced Spanish midfielder Victor Vazquez for the rest of the 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) season, the club announced on Wednesday.
A product of the famed La Masia Academy of FC Barcelona, a former teammate of Lionel Messi and coached by Pep Guardiola, Vazquez comes to India with a plethora of experience.
Besides Barcelona, he plied his trade previously for the likes of Club Brugge, Toronto FC, and Los Angeles Galaxy.
Commenting on Vazquez’s inclusion, East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat said, “Victor is a product of FC Barcelona’s style of football. He is a player from the generation of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas. His creativity in the midfield will offer many moments of joy and brilliance to the East Bengal supporters. He is accustomed to playing on the big stage, having played in the UEFA Champions League before and we believe that he will shine in the ISL too.”
Vazquez rose through the youth ranks at Barcelona and was part of the iconic La Masia batch that comprised Messi, Fabregas, and Pique. He was promoted to Barcelona’s first team by Guardiola in 2008 and scored his first goal for Barcelona's first team against FC Rubin Kazan in the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League group stage.
In April 2011, Vazquez joined the Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge. Representing Club Brugge in 173 official matches, Vazquez scored 25 goals and 50 assists, guiding them to a Belgian Cup (2014-15) and a Belgian Pro League (2015-16) title.
He was also instrumental in taking Club Brugge to the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League quarterfinals and was voted the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year.
After leaving Club Brugge, Vazquez played for several clubs like Mexico’s Cruz Azul, Qatar Star League’s Al-Arabi and Umm Salal SC, Belgian Pro League’s K.A.S. Eupen and Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and LA Galaxy.
Speaking on his latest assignment, Vazquez said, “I am very happy to join Emami East Bengal. I have heard about the illustrious history of the club and the incredible passion of the fans from Coach Carles and Coach Dimas. I am excited to make my mark in Indian football and contribute to this iconic club’s success. Joy East Bengal!”
