Profile: Who is Chennaiyin FC's latest signing Ariel Borysiuk?

The defensive midfielder has previously played in the German Bundesliga.

Chennaiyin FC have recruited Ariel Borysiuk on a one-year deal ahead of the 2021-22 Indian Super League (ISL) season. The eighth edition of the top league competition in India will take place in a bio-bubble in Goa later this year. Chennaiyin are one of the teams who are looking at the upcoming season as a chance to turn their fortunes around.

Their signing of the experienced Polish midfielder can be considered as a part of that process. Ariel Borysiuk is the latest signing under the regime of Bozidar Bandovic. The Chennaiyin tactician will shoulder the responsibility to improve their league position in his debut season in the ISL. In addition to Ariel, the outfit have brought in foreign players like Slavko Damjanovic and Mirlan Murzaev to strengthen the squad. 

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A defensive midfielder by trade, Borysiuk will play a vital role in the heart of the midfield when the ball starts rolling. He has a lot to bring to the table and the fans can get excited about the new arrival. Having said that, here is a detailed profile of Ariel Borysiuk to get an idea of what he is all about:

Past experience

Ariel Borysiuk is an experienced figure who has featured for many teams in the past. He has played across European leagues and this will be his first experience in Asian football. Borysiuk began his professional career with Legia Warszawa’s reserve side in 2007-08. He first stepped on the senior stage with Legia Warszawa in 2012. After two years, he moved to 1.FC Kaiserslautern to play in the German Bundesliga and then came back to Poland to sign for Volga Nizhniy Novgorod in a brief loan deal.

Following that deal, another Polish top tier club Lechia Gdansk signed him on loan in 2015, which later turned into a permanent deal. Legia Warszawa brought him amongst their ranks for the second time after signing him from Lechia Gdansk in 2016. After playing in Poland and Germany majorly, Borysiuk tested English football by signing for Queens Park Rangers on loan for two years.

Post that, the Polish international had a brief loan spell with Wisla Plock. Finally, he permanently signed with FC Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova and recently played for Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland. Now, he is a Chennaiyin FC player in the ISL.

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Club career in numbers

Ariel Borysiuk has played in every major competition of the countries he has gone to as a part of his football career - be it the German Bundesliga, the EFL Championship (second tier in England) or the Polish Ekstraklasa (top tier). In terms of most notable mentions, the midfielder has over 228 appearances in the Polish first division and 32 appearances in the German 2. Bundesliga (second tier).

The 30-year-old further made 12 Bundesliga appearances for FC Kaiserslautern In 2011-12. Apart from that, he has 11 appearances in the EFL Championship and seven in the UEFA Europa League. In addition to these competitions, Borysiuk has 12 caps for Poland’s national team.

He has also won a lot of silverware in the past. The midfielder is a five-time winner of the Polish Cup, one-time Polish league winner and one-time Polish Super Cup winner with Legia Warszawa. He recently won the Moldovan league with FC Sheriff Tiraspol. Overall, Borysiuk has made 350 appearances in his club career.

Last season’s performance

Before agreeing to join Chennaiyin FC, the midfielder was representing Polish club Jagiellonia Bialystok. The club played in the Polish Ekstraklasa and finished in ninth place (out of 16) after collecting 37 points in 30 matches.

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Borysiuk himself turned out 15 times in the league and collected four yellow cards without any attacking output. Clearly, the player was struggling for playing minutes after only registering 592 minutes. Perhaps a move to India will be a nice change of pace for the midfielder where he can contribute more.

The type of player

Ariel Borysiuk is a defensive midfielder by trade. He is more inclined towards staying back and providing cover to the backline. This is one of the reasons why he does not have noteworthy attacking returns. He is quick in tackles, loves to be involved in duels and comes away with the ball on most occasions. Borysiuk has a 6 feet tall frame which makes him an asset in defending set-pieces.  

He has put in a shift in the centre-back position previously because he has good game reading skills. Players like Anirudh Thapa will gain a lot of insight from Borysiuk. Combining with club skipper Rafael Crivellaro would provide the perfect balance in midfield.

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How he fits in CFC gaffer’s plans

Chennaiyin FC have been making interesting signings since Bozidar Bandovic took over as the head coach. Ariel Borysiuk is the third foreign signing who will make his debut in Indian football. There is a chance these signings could either be a hit or a miss. 

“There’s not much to say about Ariel [Borysiuk]. He has operated at such a high level for all his career. It’s a great signing,” CFC’s head coach said. The holding midfielder will aim to stop opposition from scoring, as the Marina Machans conceded 23 goals, ending up with a -6 goal-difference.

He also did mention Ariel Borysiuk being solid in defence in initial conversations. The midfielder is hence an ideal signing in that respect.

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