The mystery surrounding the future of Persija Jakarta’s striker, Bruno Da Silva Lopes, has been resolved. The Brazilian player is slated to compete in the upcoming 2018 season of the Malaysian Super League as a member of Kelantan FA.
Interestingly, Kelantan FA was in contention with Persija for the recruitment of Marko Simic, a Croatian forward. Ultimately, Simic chose to join Persija for the upcoming season.
Reports from utusan.com indicate that Bibi Ramjani Ilias Khan, the President of Kelantan FA, confirmed that Bruno Lopes has indeed agreed to join the club, known as The Red Warriors (TRW). Khan also noted that the 31-year-old player had already put pen to paper on a contract with Kelantan FA on the 29th of December.
“Lopes will soon be arriving in Kota Bharu to finalize his contract with TRW,” stated Bibi.
Kelantan FA had specific motives for enlisting the services of the former Ratchaburi player. According to Bibi, Lopes’s performance surpassed that of Simic, who declined Kelantan FA’s offer.
During the last season, Bruno Lopes tallied 10 goals and provided four assists in 29 matches in the 2017 Liga 1 competition with Persija. In contrast, Simic scored nine goals in nine matches with Melaka United.
Lopes’s goal-scoring record fell below the expectations of Persija’s coaching staff and management. Consequently, the club chose not to extend Lopes’s contract for the following season, favoring Simic instead.
“We acquired Lopes on the basis of his superior performance when compared to Simic’s. Kelantan FA is confident that his inclusion will have a positive impact on TRW,” asserted Bibi.
In addition to securing Lopes, Kelantan FA had already recruited three foreign players in the form of Margaro Gomis (France), Cassio Francisco De Jesus (Brazil), and Do Dong-Hyun (South Korea).
In conclusion, Kelantan FA’s decision to bring Bruno Lopes onboard appears to have been a strategic move based on his performance, despite facing competition from other clubs. The addition of Lopes to the team is anticipated to generate a positive influence on Kelantan FA’s performance in the upcoming season. The outcome of this decision in the fiercely competitive Malaysian Super League environment remains to be observed.
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