ATK Mohun Bagan announce signing of Finland international Joni Kauko

The midfielder made three appearances in the UEFA Euro 2020.

Indian Super League (ISL) giants ATK Mohun Bagan have completed the signing of Finland international Joni Kauko, the club announced on Thursday. The midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the Mariners.

"ATK Mohun Bagan is delighted to announce the signing of current Finnish midfielder, Joni Kauko. He joins the Mariners on a two-year deal," the club's official statement read. The 30-year-old was part of the Finnish side which participated in the UEFA Euro 2020 for the first time in their history.

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Finland failed to impress at the Euro 2020, as they finished third in the group behind Belgium and Demark and were subsequently knocked out of the continental showpiece. Kauko himself did not get many chances to impress as he made three substitute appearances in all three group stage games.

Born in Turku, Finland on July 12, 1990, the 30-year-old has previously captained the Finland U-21 team. The achievements in his club career include winning the Finnish League Cup twice - with Inter Turku in 2008 and with FC Lahti five years later.

With Inter Turku, he also won the Finnish Cup in 2009. He made his international debut for Finland in 2012 and has made 28 appearances with the national team till now. At Euro 2020, he made three substitute appearances, clocking 57 minutes on the pitch in total.

Additionally, TOI have reported that Joni Kauko will join ATK Mohun Bagan ahead of their AFC Cup campaign, which will begin on August 18.

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ATK Mohun Bagan's pre-season preparations

The Mariners narrowly lost both ISL League Winners' Shield and league title to Mumbai City FC in the 2020-21 season. Coached by veteran tactician Antonio Lopez Habas, the club managed to set the best defensive record of the league last season, before qualifying for AFC Cup 2021.

So far this summer, the Kolkata-based outfit have also managed to sign some remarkable players, including Liston Colaco and Amrinder Singh. They parted ways with midfielder Javi Hernandez recently and are set to announce more signings in the coming days.

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