Ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL 2024-25), East Bengal FC announced that club captain Cleiton Silva has signed a one-year contract extension.
Cleiton was the top scorer in East Bengal’s triumphant Kalinga Super Cup campaign earlier this year and has scored the most goals for the Red & Golds in the Indian Super League.
Lauding Cleiton’s consistency, Vibhash Vardhan Agarwal of Emami Group said, “Cleiton leads our team from the front and is an inspiration to our young players. He merits a place in our plans for the next season by virtue of being our top scorer over the past two years.”
East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat said, “Cleiton has been our top scorer over the past two seasons and leads the team by example. His goals have given us important victories and the East Bengal fans will forever remember his extra-time winner in the Super Cup final, which ended our twelve-year trophy drought at the national level. We are happy to continue working with a top professional like him.”
Delighted to continue his journey with East Bengal FC, Cleiton said, “I am thrilled to continue my journey with this great club. I’ve always given my best for our fans and our badge. Winning the Super Cup with East Bengal will always be one of the greatest moments of my career. A long season awaits us. Keep supporting us as always. Joy East Bengal!”
Cleiton’s extension means that Emami East Bengal now has the top scorers from India’s three major domestic tournaments in its ranks – Dimitrios Diamantakos (ISL), Cleiton (Kalinga Super Cup) and David Lalhlansanga (Durand Cup).
Having joined East Bengal FC from Bengaluru FC in 2022, Cleiton has played 4,594 minutes across 55 games for the Red & Golds, registering 27 goals and 8 assists, including 8 braces. The Brazilian forward was also the joint-top scorer of ISL 2022-23 with 12 goals. After recording 18 goal contributions (14 goals and 4 assists) in 25 games during his first season with East Bengal, Cleiton replicated his consistency in the following season with 17 goal contributions (13 goals and 4 assists).
As the numbers indicate, Cleiton has been one of the most successful overseas forwards in Indian football in recent years, with 46 goals and 18 assists to his name across his Bengaluru FC and East Bengal FC stints. The experienced Brazilian is the sixth-highest scorer in ISL history with 36 goals.
