ISL: Dimas Delgado extends Bengaluru FC stay by another year

Bengaluru FC midfielder Dimas Delgado today signed an extension to his contract at the ISL club, to extend his stay by another year, until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Dimas, who has completed three seasons with the Blues, and is the club's vice-captain, was the joint highest assist provider for Bengaluru in the 2019-20 season, with his five assists all coming off set-piece deliveries.

His solitary goal in the 2019-20 season also came off a set-piece as he put a direct free-kick past ATK's Dheeraj Moirangthem. Dimas also assisted Bengaluru's ISL-winning goal, with his corner for Rahul Bheke's header in 2019.

“I am delighted in extending my stay at a club I can very comfortably call home. I have enjoyed playing my part in everything we have achieved over the last three seasons and I cannot wait to do it for one more year. It’s an honour to pull on the Bengaluru shirt and walk out in front of our fans who have always shown me love. We have more to achieve and I will keep helping this team,” Dimas told the Bengaluru FC official website.

El Mago (The Magician) as he is known among the Bengaluru faithful, Dimas was an ever-present figure in the last season for Bengaluru, featuring in all 20 ISL games, missing only 38 minutes of action all season.

Dimas joins Erik Paartalu and Juanan Gonzalez in signing a new deal at the former ISL champions. Bengaluru also have Deshorn Brown and Raphael Augusto having another season left on their existing contracts.

That means that the Blues only have to sign one more foreigner to complete the minimum requirement in their squad for the start of next season.

However, unlike the 2019-20 season, when they started with only six foreigners, after opting not to sign the optional seventh, it will be interesting to see whether Carles Cuadrat and Bengaluru go down that route again, or whether they go for the jugular from the start with their full complement of foreigners.