ISL Transfer News: Chennaiyin FC Announce Cristian Battocchio as Fourth Foreign Signing

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Chennai, August 21: Chennaiyin FC on Monday (August 21) announced the addition of Cristian Battocchio to their team, making him their fourth foreign signing for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season.

The former Italy U21 midfielder has joined the Chennaiyin FC squad in Guwahati and is expected to be considered for the Durand Cup quarterfinal, which is set to take place later this week.

Expressing his excitement, Battocchio said, "I have been eagerly waiting for this day when I could come to India. It feels great that the club and coach wanted me here.

"The coach discussed his plans for me, which made me feel even better about joining. I spoke to many people who had only positive things to say about this club, so I am extremely happy to be here."

Battocchio began his career in Europe with Serie A team Udinese back in 2009. He captained their youth side before earning a spot in the first team, where he also appeared three times in the UEFA Europa League.

Head coach Owen Coyle expressed his delight at bringing Battocchio on board: "We have been pursuing Cristian Battocchio for quite some time as he had multiple offers.

"However, he understands our club's values and what makes it special. We are thrilled to have such a talented player with an impressive career wearing the Chennaiyin shirt."

In 2012, Battocchio moved to Watford where he played 66 matches in competitions like the Championship and FA Cup. During his time there, he scored seven goals and provided five assists while winning "Watford Goal of the Season" accolade in 2012-13.

Having made 131 appearances for French side Stade Brestois 29, Battocchio helped them secure second place in Ligue 2 during the 2018-19 season and gain promotion to Ligue 1. He also achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a hat-trick for Brest after almost three decades since their last top-flight hat-trick.

Furthermore, Battocchio has played in various countries including Japan, Greece, Mexico, and Israel. He boasts 11 appearances in the UEFA Europa League for Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.

At the youth level, Battocchio represented the Italian national football team with 18 appearances for their U-20 and U-21 sides. He now joins a number of new faces in the Chennaiyin FC squad for the 2023-24 season.

Chennaiyin FC has so for signed goalkeeper Prateek Kumar Singh, defenders Sachu Sibu, Bijay Chhetri and Ankit Mukherjee as well as midfielder Sweden Fernandes, and forwards Farukh Choudhary and Irfan Yadwad.

In addition to the Indian players, Chennaiyin FC has roped in Scotland forward Connor Shields, Australian forward Jordan Murray and Brazilian attacking midfielder Rafael Crivellaro as their other three foreign recruits.