Profile: Who is Armando Sadiku, Mohun Bagan's latest recruit?

Armando Sadiku has all the qualities to light the Indian Super League on fire.

Armando Sadiku is the latest acquisition by 2022-23 Indian Super League trophy winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant. He is a highly-rated striker who has played club football in countries like Albania, Switzerland, Poland, Bolivia and Spain. The 32-year-old is heading to Asia for the first time in his career and there is a lot of excitement with his arrival in Indian football.

The Albanian international holds the coveted achievement of being the first individual to score Albania’s first goal at a major international tournament. His goal against Romania secured the country’s first win at a major international tournament. The cousin of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka and FC Basel’s Taulant Xhaka has also featured in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League qualification round.

There is a lot of anticipation ahead of Armando Sadiku’s first season in Indian football. Fans of the Mariners expect big things from the striker who comes with a lot of experience. As the excitement builds with Armando’s arrival, here is a look into what he brings to the table:

Prior Experience

Armando Sadiku made his professional debut way back in 2008. He was playing for his boyhood club Turbina Cërrik in the Albanian second division. The striker played for the club for two seasons before moving to Gramozi in the top division. That was the start of a senior career that would span more than a decade in Europe. He later joined Elbasani in 2010 and stayed there for a season. His next destination was Switzerland after receiving a ban which prevented him from playing football in Albania.

He joined FC Locarno (2011) followed by FC Lugano (2012) and the striker won the golden boot award for both clubs in the Swiss Challenge League. The forward, after finding form in Swiss football, made the move to join FC Zurich in the top flight in 2014. There were two loan spells with FC Vaduz and FC Lugano before Sadiku moved permanently to Legia Warszawa in 2017. His one season in Poland was rather disappointing as he managed only two goals. 

The Albanian international then went to Spain to sign for Levante in 2018, becoming the second Albanian to play in the Spanish top flight. Two short loan spells with Lugano and Malaga followed after his move to Levante. Eventually, the striker played for Turkish club BB Erzurumspor and Bolivian side Club Bolívar. In 2021, he signed for Spain’s Las Palmas and later in 2022, he moved to FC Cartagena which was his last club before agreeing to join Mohun Bagan.

Armando Sadiku made his international debut for the Albania U-19 side against Cyprus U-19 on 20 October 2009. He started in both games against the Cyprus U-19 side. His senior team debut came in a friendly against Georgia on 29 February 2012 in Tbilisi. He is currently the joint-leading goalscorer for Albania in international football with 12 goals.

Type of Player

Armando Sadiku is a striker who thrives on receiving service inside the box and finishing with conviction. His movement can cause trouble to any established defender and his prowess in the air makes him a tricky operator.

The forward also has the knack of dropping deep to contribute to build-up play and often strikes from range using his powerful shots. His precision from distance can be a lethal weapon. He will be effective in the striker’s role for the Mariners and will relish the service from players like Dimitri Petratos, Hugo Boumos and co.

What does he bring to the team?

The 32-year-old brings the experience of playing in Europe for multiple years and that will certainly play a huge role in guiding Mohun Bagan towards success in the 2023-24 campaign.

However, Juan Ferrando will need to work with the striker and motivate him to press the opposition defence high in order to push them into making errors. It will be interesting to see how the 32-year-old adapts to the Indian climate which is very different from what he has experienced for many years in Europe.

He is a dangerous striker who can find the back of the net with ease. His hunger to play at the top level brings him to Asia - a new frontier where he will be aiming to impress the demanding fans of the Mariners. 

His immediate challenge will be to help Mohun Bagan in their AFC Cup campaign. His contract runs until 2025, good for two seasons. Winning trophies will be high on the agenda for the striker and scoring goals will be an obvious expectation.