Pune FC bring on Ryuji Sueoka, Luciano Sabrosa for the season

Japanese midfielder Sueoka joins Pune FC after spending the previous season with East Bengal, while Brazilian defender Sabrosa having spent last season with Mohammedan Sporting.

Both players bring in their long-standing experience of the Indian circuit and are the first foreign recruits to be signed under new Coach Karim Bencherifa. Incidentally the duo was also part of the Salgaocar FC side which won the I-League under Bencherifa in 2011-12.

Pune FC Head Operations, Chirag Tanna said: “We are very glad to have signed Ryuji and Luciano for the 2014-15 season. Both players have won the I-League and Federation Cup and that experience will be invaluable to our young squad.”

Pune FC Head Coach, Karim Bencherifa said: “Both are good players, and above all good humans too. And their experience will help, guide the youngsters at Pune FC.”

Sueoka thus becomes the third Japanese player to play for Pune FC after Arata Izumi (2009-12) and Daisuke Nishiguchi (2012-13). On the other hand, Sabrosa is the second Brazilian after Edmar Figueira (2009-11) to wear the red of Pune FC.

Sueoka, a creative midfielder, began his career at J-League-2 side Albirex Niigata 2002 where he spent two seasons before joining their sister side in Singapore in 2004. His 12 goals in 27 games for Albirex Niigata Singapore to a top half finish. The following season, Sueoka moved back to Japan and plied his trade for Albirex in J-League-1.

Ryuji moved back to Singapore where he represented Geylang United (2006) and Balestier Khalsa (2007) and scored 13 goals in 61 appearances during this period.

The following season, Sueoka joined Thai Premier League side Bangkok United (2008-09) before arriving in India to join Mohun Bagan in 2010-11. The medio then moved to Salgaocar FC in the following season and was an integral part of the side that emerged I-League champions.

In 2012-13, Sueoka made the switch to Dempo SC and scored 11 goals in 17 matches before plying his trade for East Bengal (4 goals in 18 appearances) in the following season.

Sabrosa, a hard tackling defender, began his professional career at Santo Ângelo (1999–2002) in the Rio Grande do Sul State League. In the following years, he represented São Gabriel (2003), Glória (2004), Juventus-RS (2004), Metropolitano (2005), Videira (2006) and Juventus Jaraguá (2007) in various state leagues.

Sabrosa first arrived in India in 2007-08 and helped Goan side Vasco to promotion in the I-League. The following season he represented Sporting Goa (2008-09) before moving to newly promoted Salgaocar FC (2009-10).

The Brazilian then spent four seasons at Salgaocar during which he won the I-League (2011-12) and the Federation Cup (2012) under Bencherifa and even went on to skipper his side in the AFC Cup.

For the 2013-14 season, Sabrosa moved to Kolkata and joined Mohammedan Sporting and helped his team to the Durand Cup and IFA Shield title.