Cardiff’s Iceland captain Aron Gunnarsson has signed a two-year contract with QNB Stars League side Al Arabi, the club has announced. The statement on Twitter posted late Tuesday said the 29-year-old, whose Cardiff contract expires at the end of the season, will have an option of a third year with Al Arabi.
The midfielder joined Cardiff in 2011 and helped them win promotion to the Premier League last season. At Al Arabi, currently sixth in the QNB Stars League, he will be joining former Iceland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson who became the Qatari club’s head coach in December.
Gunnarsson is the Bluebird’s current longest-serving player having played 278 games, scoring 25 goals. He has played in 20 of Cardiff’s 30 Premier League games this season, netting once against Wolves in November. Gunnarsson, who has 81 caps for his country and has been their captain since 2012, has overseen both their inaugural major tournament appearances at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.
Al Rayyan’s Goumou
returns from injury
Al Rayyan are continuing preparations ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 20 clash with Al Gharafa on March 30. Daniel Goumou, who was nursing an injury, returned to training. He was missing in action for some time in the QNB Stars League as well as AFC Champions League, where Al Rayyan played two matches. Goumou’s presence is sure to add strength to Al Rayyan’s midfield, which also includes Ahmed Abdelmaksoud and Koh Myong-Jin. Al Rayyan are third in the league standings with 33 points.
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