The New York Cosmos inked Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna, with the former European champion’s signing just pending a physical exam. He’ll make his debut on American soil Aug. 3, when the Cosmos open their reboot season in the NASL at Hofstra University.
“This is a very special moment for me in joining the Cosmos because I face a new challenge, but at the same time it has been a difficult decision to leave Villarreal after 11 seasons,” said Senna. “I want to thank Giovanni Savarese, Remy Cherin and my agents Ely Coimbra and Hector Peris for helping me make this move possible.”
The 36-year-old Senna began his career in his Brazil but spent the past 11 seasons at Villarreal, where he became one of the top midfielders in La Liga. He also captained both Villarreal and the Spanish national team, for whom he had 28 caps and won Euro 2008, where he was picked for the UEFA Team of the Tournament.
For Villarreal, Senna has over 313 appearances and 29 goals in all competitions for the Yellow Submarines and helped lead the club to promotion this past season back to La Liga. During his time at Villarreal, the club reached the UEFA Champions League semifinal and also finished second in La Liga.
“We are delighted to add Marcos Senna to the New York Cosmos,” said Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese. “His reputation in the game and his achievements over his career on the field speak for themselves – he’s the type of player that makes everyone on his team better and his leadership and experience will be invaluable for us.”