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Brazilian striker Diego Mauricio had signed a two-year extension that will keep him at Odisha FC till 2025, the club announced through a video posted on their social media handles on Monday.
Mauricio who scored 12 goals for the Juggernauts in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season won the golden boot becoming the first player from the club to win that prize. After a slow start to his second stint with the club, Mauricio came to the party at the business end of the season to guide Odisha FC to their first-ever playoff appearance and the Bhubaneswar-based side have moved quickly to secure the long-term future of their talismanic forward. Mauricio who first signed for Odisha FC in 2020 also scored 12 goals in his first campaign with the club before moving to Mumbai City FC in January 2022. He scored three times in seven matches for the Islanders in ISL 2021-22 before netting again for the Mumbai side in the AFC Champions League as they became the first Indian club to win a match in the group stage of the competition. The Brazilian then returned to Odisha FC before the 2022-23 campaign and picked up from where he had left off before leaving in 2021. Mauricio expressed his delight at extending his stay with Odisha FC, a club he feels is his home. "I belong to Odisha. I love the people and the city. The fans have shown me how much they love me. My family is very happy that I decided to say. I have had a great time here, and I am looking forward to continuing my journey with the club. I believe we can achieve great things together," the striker told the club's official website. Mauricio will now look to take his ISL form into the Super Cup as Odisha FC look to win their first silverware. The Juggernauts will have their work cut out after being placed in Group C which feature fellow ISL teams Hyderabad FC and East Bengal FC and one of TRAU and Aizawl FC. Odisha FC will begin their Super Cup campaign against East Bengal FC on Sunday. (ANI)
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