Fouche Reinforcement
Dalibor Kostadinović hadn't been wasting any time in plotting Farmer Bunnies' survival in their maiden S-League campaign, and it was to this end that he brought French midfield veteran
Christophe Fouche in on a S$2.7 million deal today. While clearly not a long-term bet, the 33 year-old had made himself a name as a tireless attacking midfielder; his marginal slowing wasn't even much of a concern in the Buns' usual system, which should have him hanging up top to hold and release the ball to runners.
Of Fouche, who claimed the Number Sixteen jersey last vacated by Sim Leng Cheng, Kostadinović confirmed that he would be a squad rotation player. "Christophe's gotten as high as the third division in France with Palois, and the fourth with OLASSE, but it was obvious that he couldn't expect much more. He's had brief adventures in his youth, in Iran and the Czech Republic, so a realistic shot at major honours overseas came for him at just the right moment."
Italian Division Six club Blood Mask were eager to pair Fouche with Przemysław Cwikła in an imposing midfield unit, as were German Division Five outfit Bochumer VFL, who were constructing a new core with their purchases of Geng Rongfa and Luitpold Schwarzhoff. Staying on in France was always an option too, with an offer coming in from the rebuilding JGWallemme, who had been in the third division just two seasons ago. All said, however, it wasn't hard to see why Fouche chose as he did.
In other relevant Farmer Bunnies news, Greek striker
Ermis Ftenopoulos affirmed his retirement from football at the end of the season. The long-serving Number Eleven had spent eighteen full seasons here after his free transfer from his native Pensioners at the age of 21, and will be taking some time off back in the mountains of his beloved Macedonia, as he figures out what to do with his life.
On the goalkeeping end,
Akıner Sayın and
Vivian Grubenmann have agreed to swap numbers for the new S-League season, with the Swiss starting custodian to wear the iconic Number One for the first time in his Buns career. The 37 year-old Sayın, now third-choice behind Grubenmann and
Rashid Nasir al Din, agreed that it was high time for the switch. "It was a great journey, and it has passed into younger hands."
