FC Utrecht completes transfer stunt; Branderhorst will not believe his ears
Friday, July 28, 2023 at 10:32 PM
FC Utrecht will continue with Vasilios Barkas, the Domstedelingen confirm through the official channels. The 29-year-old goalkeeper, who already played for the club on a rental basis last season, signs a contract for a maximum of two seasons in Galgenwaard Stadium. That can be called a stunt, because the arrival of Barkas was considered unfeasible due to his high salary.
Barkas immediately reconnects with Utrecht. The Greek Dutchman left Celtic on July 1, the club that stole the goalie on a rental basis in the Domstad last year. Barkas made a big impression in Utrecht, keeping 12 clean sheets in 38 official games. He finished third in the election for the David di Tommaso Trophy for the best FC Utrecht player of the season. Barkas was the first mercenary ever to make it to the podium in the pageant.
In recent weeks, Utrecht has done everything possible to keep Barkas for the club. That did not seem a realistic option given the salary of the closing item, but it was nevertheless successful. “We are extremely happy with the fact that we have connected Vasilis to us,” says technical director Jordy Zuidam of FC Utrecht. “During the past season, Vasilis has proven to be an added value for the team and he has shown to be one of the better goalkeepers in the Eredivisie last season. It seemed impossible to keep Vasilis, but the fact that we still succeeded makes us proud and indicates that Vasilis is very keen to continue playing for our club and supporters.”
The news about the deal with Barkas will come as a shock to Mattijs Branderhorst. The 29-year-old goalkeeper left NEC this summer on a free transfer because he no longer wanted to sit on the bench behind Jasper Cillessen. Branderhorst would compete with Fabian de Keijzer for the place under the bar at FC Utrecht, but now Barkas has a very formidable competitor.
2023-07-28 20:32:00
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