{"id":877939,"date":"2025-02-06T00:12:07","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T18:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/?p=877939"},"modified":"2025-02-06T00:12:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T18:42:10","slug":"isl-east-bengal-signs-messi-rest-of-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/isl-east-bengal-signs-messi-rest-of-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"ISL: East Bengal signs Messi for the rest of the season!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"east-bengals-latest-signing-raphael-messi-bouli-joins-the-red-and-gold-brigade\">East Bengal\u2019s Latest Signing: Raphael Messi Bouli Joins the Red and Gold Brigade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you an <strong>East Bengal<\/strong> fan eager to see what\u2019s next for your favorite club? The Red and Gold Brigade have opted to boost their attack with the signing of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/east-bengal-sign-forward-raphael-messi-boulis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Raphael Messi Bouli<\/a><\/strong> until the end of the season. The move has already sparked excitement\u2014and a few debates\u2014among supporters. Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#east-bengals-latest-signing-raphael-messi-bouli-joins-the-red-and-gold-brigade\">East Bengal\u2019s Latest Signing: Raphael Messi Bouli Joins the Red and Gold Brigade<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#a-glance-at-messi-boulis-track-record\">A Glance at Messi Bouli\u2019s Track Record<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#strengthening-east-bengals-attack\">Strengthening East Bengal\u2019s Attack<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#supporter-perspectives\">Supporter Perspectives<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#positives\">Positives<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#lingering-concerns\">Lingering Concerns<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#looking-ahead-next-fixture-vs-chennaiyin-fc\">Looking Ahead: Next Fixture vs. Chennaiyin FC<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#final-thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-glance-at-messi-boulis-track-record\">A Glance at Messi Bouli\u2019s Track Record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Goal Machine<\/strong>: Over the last four years, he tallied an impressive 57 goals and 17 assists in China\u2019s second division. In 2024 alone, he scored 14 goals and assisted 5 more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ISL Experience<\/strong>: Fans might remember him from the 2019\u201320 season, when he netted 8 goals and added 2 assists for Kerala Blasters. He stood out as one of their best performers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, Messi Bouli shows up with scoring prowess and a proven ability to adapt to Indian football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"strengthening-east-bengals-attack\">Strengthening East Bengal\u2019s Attack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I have mixed feelings about the Messi Bouli signing. <br><br>Positives:<br>1. The guy is a proven goalscorer. In the last 4 years alone he has scored 57 goals and 17 assists in the China second division. In 2024 he scored 14 goals and 5 assists.<br>2. He has previous experience in ISL. In\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Zeftke3aCd\">https:\/\/t.co\/Zeftke3aCd<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YF9XyCm028\">pic.twitter.com\/YF9XyCm028<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sanghapriyo (@SanghapriyoM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SanghapriyoM\/status\/1887074662938751336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">February 5, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>For a club that\u2019s focused on climbing the ISL standings, adding an in-form striker is a bold move. Messi Bouli\u2019s presence ensures <strong>East Bengal<\/strong> have a player who can put the finishing touches on attacking plays. Plus, his familiarity with the league means he should settle in quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"supporter-perspectives\">Supporter Perspectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"positives\">Positives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Proven Goalscorer<\/em>: East Bengal gain a forward adept at converting chances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Seasoned in the ISL<\/em>: Familiarity with Indian pitches and playing styles helps him hit the ground running.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lingering-concerns\">Lingering Concerns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Defensive Gaps<\/em>: Some fans wonder if the club needed a center-back or a defensive midfielder more urgently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Squad Balance<\/em>: With critical foreign slots open, was a striker the best choice right now?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, there\u2019s no denying the added firepower his arrival brings to the East Bengal frontline.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-877942\" title=\"\" srcset=\"\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-1024x576.webp 1024w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-300x169.webp 300w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-768x432.webp 768w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-747x420.webp 747w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-150x84.webp 150w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-696x391.webp 696w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-1392x783.webp 1392w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli-1068x601.webp 1068w, \/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/raphael-messi-bouli.webp 1474w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"looking-ahead-next-fixture-vs-chennaiyin-fc\">Looking Ahead: Next Fixture vs. Chennaiyin FC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Expect to see <strong>Messi Bouli<\/strong> in action soon, possibly in East Bengal\u2019s upcoming clash with Chennaiyin FC. If he hits his stride, it could make a pivotal difference in the team\u2019s surge up the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final-thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>East Bengal<\/strong>, signing Raphael Messi Bouli signals ambition. Armed with robust scoring credentials and prior ISL stints under his belt, he may give the Red and Gold faithful plenty to cheer about. While questions remain about addressing other positions, the immediate upside of goals and experience can\u2019t be overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you all set to watch him light up the front line? <strong>Stay tuned for more East Bengal news<\/strong> as we follow the team\u2019s journey through this season\u2019s highs and lows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/top-10-transfers-of-the-winter-transfer-window\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Top 10 Transfers of the Winter Transfer Window<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>East Bengal\u2019s Latest Signing: Raphael Messi Bouli Joins the Red and Gold Brigade Are you an East Bengal fan eager to see what\u2019s next for your favorite club? The Red and Gold Brigade have opted to boost their attack with the signing of Raphael Messi Bouli until the end of the season. The move has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":877934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433476,7633,16051,3179,10,16938],"tags":[8781,11,462714],"class_list":{"0":"post-877939","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-faq","8":"category-football","9":"category-indian-football","10":"category-news","11":"category-sports","12":"category-transfer","13":"tag-east-bengal","14":"tag-messi","15":"tag-raphael-messi-bouli"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=877939"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":877946,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877939\/revisions\/877946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/877934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=877939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=877939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technosports.co.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=877939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}