Mohun Bagan have secured their sixth overseas signing for the upcoming I-League season with the arrival of Spanish winger Julen Colinas Olaizola.
The 31-year-old Spaniard is a product of the Real Sociedad youth system and has signed a one-year contract with the Kolkata giants. Colinas had primarily plied his trade in the Spanish Third Division (Segunda B) with stints at Real Union, Toledo, Llieda Esportiu, Cultural Leonesa and spent the most recent 2018-19 season with UCAM Murcia.
It will be the first stint outside his native Spain for the versatile player who can play on both wings and can also double as a centre-forward if needed.
The San Sebastian-born winger becomes the fifth Spanish signing of the season for Mohun Bagan under head coach Kibu Vicuna. Since Vicuna’s arrival at the club in the summer, the Kolkata giants have signed his compatriots Joseba Beitia, Fran Morante, Salva Chamorro and Fran Gonzalez with Trinidad and Tobago's Daneil Cyrus being the sixth foreigner in the squad.
The Mohun Bagan head coach has expressed his delight at Olaizola’s signing and expects the Spanish winger to complement the squad perfectly with his bags of experience.
The Mariners are currently preparing for the first Kolkata derby of the season against arch-rivals East Bengal in a Calcutta Football League (CFL) 2019 clash set to take place on Sunday.
