HAWKESBURY City Football Club has become the home to yet another Uruguayan footballer, with the club hosting a Uruguayan welcome ceremony on Saturday for him.
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Santiago López, 26, will be the latest Uruguayan native to join the club.
The club gained Santiago Pallares earlier this year, who moved to Australia and joined the club thanks to a family connection with coach Gustavo Yuletian, whose son Allen also plays for the club.
City hired a dance troupe to perform traditional dances alongside Uruguayan music to welcome López before the club’s first grade game on Saturday.
Gustavo Yuletian said he was happy that he was able to facilitate some of his countrymen joining the club.
“The club are so happy with us and because the players are doing a great job and doing a great job coaching with the kids,” he said.
Not only has Pallares scored 19 goals this season for Hawkesbury, he also coaches one of the junior sides.
City coach Dean Bertenshaw said the club was ecstatic another Santiago was joining the club.
“Culturally the South Americans love their football and they've been great around our club, so we thought we'd recognise it and bring something different out to the area,” he said.
López is an attacking mid-fielder, and arrived in Australia last week and made his debut on Saturday.
Bertenshaw also said that the Yuletian family and Pallares had been great finds for the club and was certain López would be too as the club chases a finals spot.