Lukasz has featured in two of the world’s biggest club tournaments, the Europa League and the Champions League, making a combined 12 appearances.
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Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC (CFC) have signed Polish striker Lukasz Gikiewicz on a one-year deal ahead of the upcoming season. The centre-forward is the fifth foreign signing for Marina Machans. Lukasz, whose 200-plus club appearances so far have 49 goals and 21 assists to show for, will be eager to make his mark in his debut campaign in India’s premier football league.
Lukasz has also played in other Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Bahrain. He had finished top scorer of the 2017-18 Jordanian Pro League while playing for Al-Faisaly Amman.
“I am very happy to join the club. My aim is to immediately help the team in getting a third ISL title. The fans deserve it and so does the club that has won the league two times already,” Lukasz told the club media team.
CFC co-owner Vita Dani stated that she was looking forward to the Polish striker strengthening the team’s attack.
“We look forward to Lukasz strengthening our attack and providing much-needed goals this season. This is a very positive signing for us,” said CFC co-owner Vita Dani.
Lukasz has featured in two of the world’s biggest club tournaments, the Europa League and the Champions League, making a combined 12 appearances. During his spell at Polish outfit Slask Wroclow, he played a crucial role in the club’s second league title in 2011-12. The attacker also helped them lift the Polish Super Cup in the next year.
“Lukasz is a team player with good experience and a great personality. I believe he will help the team in many aspects, especially with goals,” commented CFC head coach Bozidar Bandovic.
After beginning his professional career 13 years ago with Polish club Olimpia Elblag, Lukasz, now thirty-three, has also played in Cyrpus, Bulgaria and Romania.
The Chennai-based franchise recently completed the signing of defender Davinder Singh on a one-year deal ahead of the upcoming season. The 25-year-old Indian international will be eager to get back to the field after missing the last three editions of the ISL, with a knee injury suffered ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. Davinder’s rise was meteoric, from university football to the national squad. His performances for the India’s U-23 team at the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Championship qualifiers, had impressed former national team coach Stephen Constantine.
“With Chennaiyin FC’s rich history in the Indian Super League, it is a tremendous honour for me to become a part of this club. The passion of the fans and the club’s family-led ethos made it a very easy decision for me to sign.”
“I am very excited to be working with head coach Boško and my new teammates, some who I have known for years. Have always given my 100% and this season, I am even more determined to bring success back to Chennaiyin FC and my ambition is to make my way back to representing the Indian national team again. I believe this will happen,” the Patiala-born footballer said.
