Albert Serran signs one-year extension with Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru, July 10 (IANS) Bengaluru FC on Wednesday extended the contract of defender Albert Serran who has put pen to paper on a deal which keeps him with the Indian Super League (ISL) champions till the end of the 2019-20 season, the club announced.

The 34-year-old defender thus becomes the fourth foreigner to stay on for Carles Cuadrat's side for the upcoming season.

Serran, who joined Bengaluru FC after a trial in Spain, went on to become an important part in Cuadrat's defence, establishing a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Juanan Gonzalez at the heart of the backline. Starting 15 games, he made a total of 17 appearances as the Blues claimed their maiden Indian Super League title.

Excited at continuing his successful journey in India, the Spaniard spoke about his ambition for the new campaign. "I am so happy to be coming back to the Bengaluru FC family once again. It's a matter of pride for me to pull on the BFC blue for another year and I will be giving everything to the club's cause of challenging for the title again," he said.

Head Coach Cuadrat who has frequently highlighted the importance of continuity in the squad was happy with the return of Serran. "Albert has come off a fantastic season with us, partnering with Juanan to lend our defence solidity. He's an experienced hand, a fantastic professional and above all a great team player. Handing him a new contract is in line with our efforts to retain as many players as possible from our championship-winning squad last year and I'm certain he will deliver yet another solid season for Bengaluru FC," said Cuadrat.

For the record, Serran, who becomes the third Spaniard in the team for the 2019-20 season after Juanan and Dimas Delgado, also notched up an impressive 88 per cent passing accuracy last season while making 114 clearances in the ISL.