Kerala Blasters announce signing of defender Enes Sipovic

The 30-year-old made 18 appearances for Chennaiyin FC in ISL 2020-21.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters have roped in Enes Sipovic, the club announced on Saturday. The defender joins the Yellow Army on a year-long contract, till the end of the forthcoming 2021-22 season.

Born on September 11, 1990 in the city of Sarajevo, Sipovic kick-started his football career at the youth setup of FK Zeljeznicar in his home country. Stints at Romanian clubs SC Otelul Galati, Petrolul Ploiesti and Farul Constanta followed, before he shifted base to Belgium and joined KVC Westerlo.

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

The centre-back played in Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the later stages of career, after which he set foot in India for the first time in the 2020-21 season. It was Chennaiyin FC who roped him in that year. The 30-year-old ended up clocking 1472 minutes for them across 18 matches.

Throughout the season, Sipovic maintained an average of 2.72 tackles, 1.11 interceptions, 4.39 clearances and 1.67 blocks per game. He also completed 504 passes with an accuracy of 76.19%. Interestingly, his final game of the campaign was against his new club. He eventually got sent off in the match, after a second yellow card in the 80th minute.

A former Bosnia and Herzegovina U-21 international, he has won a league title once so far. This was during his time with Otelul Galati in the Romanian top flight.

“Enes is a reliable defender, strong on set pieces and positioning. I know that he can adapt to Indian conditions very well and he is an excellent team player. He showed huge motivation to represent Kerala, so I’m happy and looking forward to working with him soon," said Karolis Skinkys, Kerala Blasters' Sporting Director.

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

“I am so excited to join one of the biggest clubs in India, with an army of amazing fans. I must say that, my actions speak for myself, So, on the field I will be loud," commented the player, who is also the first Bosnian to represent the club.

Kerala Blasters' pre-season preparations

Although the Kochi-based club reached the finals of the ISL twice in their first three seasons, they have since struggled for consistency and positive results. In the upcoming 2021-22 campaign, they will look to break their four-year long streak of not qualifying for the playoffs.

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

Following the parting of ways with their former head coach Kibu Vicuna, Kerala Blasters appointed Ivan Vukomanovic as their new boss. The Yellow Army also decided not to retain any of their foreign signings from the last season. They have since roped in Adrian Luna and Sipovic as part of their overseas contingent.

The side will kick-start their pre-season preparations in Kochi soon. The head coach, his staff, Sporting Director Skinkys and the players are all on their way to the city at the time of writing.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.