Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) side Hyderabad FC have retained Brazilian midfielder Joao Victor who signed on a two-year extension till the end of the 2022-23 campaign, the club announced on Friday.

At ease in both midfield and defence, the 32-year-old was an integral part of the HFC squad that finished just outside the top-4 in the 2020-21 season of the Hero ISL. “I am really happy to extend my stay with the club and continue being a part of this amazing family,” said Joao after penning the extension.

“Our target was to win every game and it will be the same again this season. And I hope, we can do better than the 5^th-place finish from last season,” added the Brazilian who joined the club back in August 2020.

The former La Liga midfielder made 17 starts under Manuel Marquez last season, registering three goals and two assists. Joao was also the captain of the side on a couple of occasions through the course of the campaign.

Head coach Marquez believes that his presence will be very important for HFC in the coming season. “Joao was a great leader, on and off the field, last season. He is experienced, knows what to do in every situation and is a complete player,” said the Spaniard.

“He is strong not only technically and tactically, but also mentally. He knows when to demand and when to be a little easy with his teammates and his relationship with the Indian youngsters was fantastic. He is a natural winner,” Marquez added.