ISL side East Bengal rope in Croatian defender Diego Živulić ahead of 2026-27 season
Diego joins East Bengal on a one-year deal.
East Bengal FC have strengthened their squad with the signing of Croatian defender Diego Živulić ahead of the 2026-27 season, after clinching the ISL title in 2025-26 and securing their 17th Durand Cup title by beating Mohun Bagan SG at VYBK on 23rd August.
The deal for Diego Živulić will see him put his efforts for the Red & Gold Brigade until the end of the season.
The Red & Gold have completed the signing of the 34-year-old defender as their sixth foreign signing alongside their Spanish defender Nacho Monsalve, MD Basim Rashid, Chris Ikonomidis, Dani Ramirez and Effiong Nsungusi.
A new foreigner for the Durand Cup champions
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Diego started his journey with the Croatian side, NK Orijent 1919, and from that point in time, he has been very impressive having played for multiple Croatian sides. Apart from playing in Croatia, Diego has also spent time with various foreign clubs like Rijeka, Viktoria Plzeň, Zlín, Pafos and Otelul Galati.
He earned his first transfer move in 2014 when he joined Fastav Zlín from HNK Rijeka, and then also made multiple moves abroad, including his transfer in 2017 from Fastav Zlín to Viktoria Plzeň.
In the later part of his career, he played for multiple clubs from 2022 to 2026, such as Bregalinca, Tabor Sezana and Otelul Galati.
The defender arrives in India after ending a very short spell with his previous Croatian club NK Rudes by mutual understanding and now he is ready to wear the Red & Gold jersey.
What can he offer to East Bengal FC?
If we look at East Bengal FC’s history, he will become the third Croatian player to don the Red & Gold jersey, following in the footsteps of Franjo and Antonio Perošević.
Diego is a physical specimen with a height of around 6’2″, which can be a very good trait for defensive stability alongside Anwar Ali and also has immense experience that indicates that he might be a key player for the East Bengal FC side as they are ready to compete in the ISL and ACL Two Group Stage.
Diego’s ability to cover both centre back and defensive midfield area at a same time might help the team’s dynamics as it will be a very long season for the Torchbearers.
Who is Diego Živulić?
Diego Živulić is a 34-year-old Croatian footballer who can play as a centre-back and defensive midfielder.
What is Diego Živulić’s contract with East Bengal?
He is set to join East Bengal FC on a one-year contract.
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Rohit Mistri is a sports journalist from Kolkata with over two years of experience in the field. He has extensively covered Indian football, including major tournaments such as the Calcutta Football League and the Indian Super League. His work spans on-ground reporting, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling, along with interviews of prominent sporting personalities. Rohit brings strong communication skills and a deep passion for sports narratives to everything he writes.