French Striker Nicolas Vandelli Signs for Thai Club

Image property of Uttaradit F.C.

Erchim FC will be without one of its top offensive weapons as the club begins its 2018 AFC Cup campaign in a few months time. It has been announced that French striker Nicolas Vandelli has signed a 1-year deal with Hua Hin City F.C. of Thailand's fourth division earlier this week.

The 28-year-old native of Cannes had previously been playing as a trialist at Uttaradit F.C. of the same league, scoring a brace against Kamphaengphet F.C. of a division higher in a UTTFC Friendly Cup match on 22 December. Two days later, the team beat Phrae United, also of a division higher, 3-2 to win the preseason tournament. However, a better offer came from Hua Hin City and the player accepted.

The striker was ranked 11th in the MPL with 6 league goals last season, tying him for third on his team, as Erchim won its third league championship in a row. Vandelli added another 8 goals in the league cup as Erchim was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions Ulaanbaatar City FC.

Vandelli originally signed for the Mongolian club in April 2017 from AS Casinca in France. He has been a bit of a journeyman in his career, also playing for clubs in the Maldives, Laos, Philippines, and Australia in addition to Mongolia and now Thailand.