Profile: Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas | East Bengal's 'Mr. Dependable'

Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas brings invaluable experience to the club.

East Bengal are turning heads with their transfer market activity and the acquisition of Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas is making their fans jump with excitement. Carles Cuadrat, the new head coach at the club, is showing ambition and aims to make the club one of the heavyweights of the Indian Super League.

The arrival of Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas brings a lot of defensive solidity to East Bengal. He joins the likes of Jordan Elsey, Saul Crespo, Javier Siverio, Borja Herrera and more as new signings at the Kolkata-based club. It’s a period of revolution at the club and the quality of incoming players suggest where the club wants to reach.

Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas in particular adds a lot of quality to the team considering his experience and skills. Here is a deeper look into what is the centre-back all about:

Prior Experience

Jose Antonio Pardo Lucas has an abundance of experience. Before erupting onto the senior football stage, he joined Valencia B from Villajoyosa CF in July 2010. His next destination was Recreativo Huelva in 2012 and the centre-back joined Real Oviedo in 2013. In the next three years, Pardo went on to play for the likes of Hércules CF, La Hoya Lorca and Mérida AD, respectively. 

In 2017, Extremadura signed him where the defender stayed for three years until he signed for UD Ibiza in 2020. CD Badajoz in 2021 and Eldense in 2022 were his next two clubs before he agreed to a move to East Bengal in 2023. 

Type of Player

Jose Antonio Pardo is a sensational defender who helped Eldense reach the Spanish second division after six decades. The 35-year-old brings a lot of experience to the table. His development and long career in Spanish football suggest that the defender is a good ball-playing centre-back. It is a quality that is essential to how Carles Cuadrat wants his team to play football – building up from the back with ground passes. 

Despite moving out of Spain for the first time in his career, Jose Antonio Pardo is set to add an extra protective layer to East Bengal’s defence. “A good defence is essential to a team’s success, and with both (Elsey and Pardo) in our fold, we feel that our defensive line will be a solid one,” Cuadrat said after the confirmation of the transfer.

What does he bring to the team?

One of the main reasons behind the acquisition of Jose Antonio Pardo is his vast years of experience as a professional. The 35-year-old has played for many years in Spanish football which developed him into a versatile player who is confident on the ball. 

With players like Gursimrat Gill, Lalchungnunga and Jordan Elsey already part of the squad, Pardo’s inclusion will add depth in the centre-back department and allow Carles Cuadrat to make rotations in order to keep the players fresh.

Jose Antonio Pardo’s reading of the game is exceptional which makes him a sensational centre-back. Furthermore, being a Spaniard makes him ideal to work with as the head coach and some of the fellow teammates also hail from Spain. This Spaniard core will prove to be vital at building chemistry. 

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