This season, ATK Mohun Bagan made a significant move by bringing in attacking midfielder Joni Kauko, who is now representing Finland in the ongoing Euro Cup. Kauko, who inked a contract with ATK Mohun Bagan on Thursday, will be one of the main attractions in the Indian Super League’s eighth edition, which is expected to begin later this year.
“Many great footballers have played in the Indian Super League,” the club stated in a statement, “but it is rare for a footballer to sign a contract with an Indian club within three days of playing in the Euro Cup.”
The 30-year-old midfielder can fill a variety of roles and will be a key part of head coach Antonio Lopez Habas’s attack plans. Kauko is likely to join ATK Mohun Bagan before the club’s AFC Cup campaign, which will kick off in the third week of August.
According to club insiders, Habas will release a preparatory schedule ahead of the AFC Cup matches in July. Kauko, who spent the previous three seasons at Esberg FB in Denmark, is ATK Mohun Bagan’s first foreign signing this season.
Soon, the club will reveal its whole foreign player roster. There will be some adjustments this season, as the number of foreigners in the playing eleven of every ISL team will be reduced from five to four.
