Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan is set to play in the Croatian football league after reportedly agreeing to join HNK Sibenik.
The towering defender had signed a five-year contract with ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) last year, but has activated a clause in his deal which says he can terminate his contract if approached by a foreign club.
"We have an agreement in place with HNK Sibenik. All efforts are now on to get him to Croatia as soon as possible," Sandesh’s representative, Anuj Kichlu, told Times of India.
“There were several offers for Sandesh last year but with Covid-19 restrictions, it became very difficult. This year, there were four different clubs who reached out to us. After considering the different types of leagues and offers, HNK Sibenik looked like the best fit for Sandesh. Croatia, after all, are World Cup finalists and the league has grown a lot in the last few years," he added.
Sandesh Jhingan has come a long way towards realising his dream of playing in Europe. In 2019 suffered an ACL injury which forced him out for the entirety of the 2019-20 Indian Super League season. He returned to the field after a 13-month absence in November last year and went on to make 22 appearances for ATKMB.
At 28, Jhingan is in the prime of his career and a move to HNK Sibenik couldn’t have come at any better time. With that in mind, here’s a look at who he will be working under in Croatia and HNK Sibenik’s league fixtures for the upcoming season.
Who is the coach of HNK Sibenik?
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Sibenik appointed Mario Rosas as their new manager. The 41-year-old is a new name in the managerial world and has only managed Novelda CF in the past. Sibenik will be the second assignment of his career.
Rosas was a product of Barcelona’s youth academy - La Masia - and while he was a regular for the reserve team, he failed to make it to the first team, spending most of his playing career with Castellon.
Jhingan will become the latest entrant in the list of Indian internationals to play in Europe, which includes Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Indian women’s football team’s Ngangom Bala Devi is the only other player from the country currently plying her trade in Europe with Scottish giants Rangers.
HNK Sibenik’s schedule and fixtures in Croatia football league
Sandesh Jhingan will be eligible to play for Sibenik as soon as he is registered as their new signing. Here is a look at how the rest of HNK Sibenik’s league fixtures looks like.
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Sibenik vs Hrvatski Dragovoljac - 10:25 PM IST
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Rijeka vs Sibenik - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Sibenik vs Istra 1961 - 10:30 PM
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Dinamo Zagreb vs Sibenik - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Sibenik vs NK Lokomotiva - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Sibenik vs Osijek - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Sibenik vs HNK Gorica - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Sibenik vs Hajduk Split - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Sibenik vs Slaven Belupo - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Hrvatski Dragovoljac vs Sibenik - 8:30 PM IST
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Sibenik vs Rijeka - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Istra 1961 vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Sibenik vs Dinamo Zagreb - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, December 4, 2021
NK Lokomotiva vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Osijek vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, December 18, 2021
HNK Gorica vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Sibenik vs Hajduk Split - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, February 5, 2022
Slaven Belupo vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Sibenik vs Hrvatski Dragovoljac - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Rijeka vs Sibenik - 11:30 PM IST
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Sibenik vs Istra 1961 - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Dinamo Zagreb vs Sibenik - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Sibenik vs NK Lokomotiva - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Sibenik vs Osijek - 9:30 PM IST
Saturday, April 2, 2022
Sibenik vs HNK Gorica - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Hajduk Split vs Sibenik - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Sibenik vs Slaven Belupo - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Hrvatski Dragovoljac vs Sibenik - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Sibenik vs Rijeka - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Istra 1961 vs Sibenik - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Sibenik vs Dinamo Zagreb - 10:30 PM IST
Saturday, May 21, 2022
NK Lokomotiva vs Sibenik - 10:30 PM IST
Featured photo: AFP / Khaled Desouki
