France international Andre-Pierre Gignac signed with 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions Leaue qualifier Tigres on June 19, 2015. (Photo: UEFA.com)
SAN NICOLAS DE LOS GARZA, Mexico – Tigres made a second major roster addition on Friday, announcing the signing of France international Andre-Pierre Gignac.
Just hours earlier, the three-time Mexican champion confirmed its acquisition of another highly-regarded forward, securing the transfer of Nigeria international Ikechukwu Uche from Spain’s Villarreal.
Gignac spent the last five years with Marseille and finished the 2014/15 campaign as the French league’s second-leading scorer with 21 goals, six behind Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon) and two ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St. Germain).
The 29-year-old began his professional football career in 2004 with FC Lorient and went on to play for Pau (loan, 2005/06) and Toulouse (2007-10), before joining Marseille in August 2010.
He won the 2008/09 French league scoring title, striking 24 times, while helping Toulouse to a fourth-place finish. For his performances, Gignac was handed an international debut in France’s 1-0 win over Lithuania on April 1, 2009, and eventually appeared in three 2010 FIFA World Cup matches.
In European club competitions, he has netted three times in 16 UEFA Champions League games and added seven goals in 16 UEFA Europa League outings.
The 21-time capped Gignac, who has five goals for France, is expected to play a significant role for Tigres in a pair of international competitions. UANL will meet Brazil’s Internacional in the Copa Libertadores semifinals next month and then open play in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions in August.
