Western Sydney wanders have added a further Spanish face to their squad, and CEO John Tsatsimas concedes it’s no coincidence that almost a quarter of the league’s visa players now hail from Spain.
Centreback Alberto Aguilar will join Tony Popovic’s squad to fill the gap left by Matthew Spiranovic, after a career spent mostly in the Spanish second-tier. The 31-year-old will join compatriots Andreu and Dimas, as well as new assistant coach Andrés Carrasco, giving the Wanderers’ roster a rather different hue.
At 185cm and 81kg, Alberto fits the mould of the classic centreback, though Tsatsimas insisted the new signing had a “cultured” side too as Popovic seeks a more progressive playing style. Alberto came through the Malaga youth system and spent two seasons in La Liga with Getafe, before spending the past seven seasons with four second-tier clubs.
His arrival brings to nine the number of Spanish visa players in the A-League, out of 40 signed so far, and the Wanderers CEO said various factors had combined to precipitate the surge.
The three at Adelaide were signed by Spanish coach Josep Gombau, but it’s understood one player agent has been involved in a number of the recent deals. In Western Sydney’s case, though Carrasco did not suggest the signing of Alberto, Andreu or Dimas, he did give the club a report on each once their names had been put forward.
“In light of the departure of Matthew Spiranovic to China, it was obvious we needed to shore up that part of our squad,” Tsatsimas said of Alberto’s arrival. “He’s physically imposing, it’s true, which is helpful in central defence, but we know he can offer a more cultured style too, which is part of the decision to sign him.
“Across the league you’ll see a raft of players from that part of the world, and the economic realities of parts of Europe make it more feasible for us to sign players than in previous days,” he said
“You’d be surprised at how many Spaniards are being offered to us and to other clubs.
“The top division in Spain is commonly seen as one of the very best in the world, so there will be quality players who don’t quite make it at that level. For us too, having Carrasco has meant we have been able to get a very informed opinion when certain players have been offered to us. The signings have been independent of him, but he knows the players.”
Tsatsimas revealed that Carrasco had guided him around the facilities at Barcelona’s academy when he and club owner Paul Lederer toured European facilities earlier this year — a meeting that crystallised Carrasco’s suitability as a potential assistant coach to Popovic.
“I met him in Barcelona, and it wasn’t just the insight he gave into their facilities — I could see the respect he was held in there, and it led me to understand his abilities,” Tsatsimas said.
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