Punjab FC signs Croatian midfielder Filip Mrzlijak

Mohali, Jul 26 (PTI) Indian Super League club Punjab FC on Friday announced roping in Croatian midfielder Filip Mrzlijak ahead of the upcoming season.
    The 31-year-old Mrzlijak played for Croatian club HNK Gorica last season in the Croatian Football League and will make his first appearance in India.
    Having begun his youth career with Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, Mrzlijak made his senior professional debut with the club in 2011.
    He has played for clubs such as Radnik Sesvete, Lokomotiva, Pandurii Târgu Jiu, Astra Giurgiu, Dinamo București and FC Ufa before moving to Gorica last season.
    Mrzlijak has scored 13 goals in 237 competitive fixtures, whereas his best came in the 2020-21 season with Ufa when he netted four goals in 16 matches.
    He has also represented Croatia across age groups but with no goals, besides making 16 appearances with the U-19 side and representing the team in the 2012 UEFA U-19 Championships and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
    “He is an experienced campaigner who has played in Europe at the highest level of youth football. He will add steel to the midfield and be a leader in and out of the field,” noted Nikolaos Topoliatis, PFC's Technical Director.
    PFC, which made its ISL debut last season, finished eighth in the 12-team competition.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)