Pune: Pune FC have signed Equatorial Guinea international and former Villareal CF 'B' striker Ral Ivn Fabiani Bosio for the 2013-14 season, the football club announced Tuesday.
Twenty-nine-year-old Ral is thus the fifth signing of the club in this window and joins playmaker Douhou Pierre as the second player in the foreign quota and the first European player to sign for Pune FC.
The 6 feet 6 inches tall Ral has become Pune FC's fifth foreign striker to be signed in the Elite League after Edmar Figueira (Brazil; 2009-11), Mandjou Keita (Guinea; 2010-12), James Moga (South Sudan; 2012-13) and Boima Karpeh (Australia 2013).
Spanish-born Ral joins Pune FC after a successful season with Valencia-based club Huracn CF in the Segunda Division-B (Third Division) during which he guided them to the play-offs final only to lose out promotion on away goals. Interestingly, Ral is the tallest striker ever to be signed by the club since promotion to the I-League in 2009-10.
"We are very happy to have signed Raul. He has an excellent record in Spain (Segunda and Segunda B) and we believe he has the necessary attributes to succeed in the I-League," said the club's head of operations Chirag Tanna. "I'm happy to be in India and be a part of Pune FC which is one of the top clubs," said Raul who arrived here yesterday.
"I'm willing to put in a lot of effort and want to help Pune FC win the league. I will try to score as many goals as possible," he added. Born to a Spanish father and an Equatoguinean mother, Ral holds both Spanish and Equatoguinean nationality. In 2011, he was naturalised to play for the Equatorial Guinea national team with the 2012 African Cup of Nations (co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) being his biggest moment.
The striker made two appearances against eventual champions Zambia in the Group Stage and against Ivory Coast in the quarters during the Cup of Nations. Overall in his career, he has made a total of six appearances for Equatorial Guinea.
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