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MLS Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC Acquires Colombian International Luis Muriel as Designated Player

February 15, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando City SC has acquired forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player from Atalanta BC of Italy's Serie A TIM, it was announced today. The Colombian striker will join the Lions on a three-year contract through 2026, pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa.

"We are very excited to welcome Luis to Orlando. Whenever he's on the field, he's a player that is known to always be a threat to score, will force defenses to account for him at all times, and has the ability to combine with and make his teammates better," said EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi. "His accolades and statistics over his career thus far speak for themselves. He's someone that we feel will help us take the next step in our pursuit to win trophies, not only this season but in the future as well."

Muriel, 32, brings a wealth of experience from both South America and Europe including 151 goals and 73 assists across 471 professional appearances across all competitions. Since making his debut for Colombia's Deportivo Cali, a club that Lions' Head Coach Oscar Pareja also played for, Muriel has featured in top competitions such as La Liga, Serie A, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, with 103 of his tallies coming from his time in Serie A.

Following his 2020-21 season, Muriel was named to the Serie A Team of the Year, a year he totaled 22 goals and nine assists in league play.

"I am very excited and happy to be here, to live the atmosphere that is this city of the team and with a lot of desire to get started," Muriel stated. "I had various offers when Oscar [Pareja] and Orlando called me. I made this decision when looking at the development of this Club, the players here and the desires of everyone to win titles. All were things that went into my decision. I'm excited to get started."

Per Opta, since joining Atalanta in the 2019/2020 season, Muriel has scored a goal every 105 minutes on average in Serie A, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo in the stat over that period. In addition to his time with Atalanta, Muriel has also had stints at Udinese, Sampdoria and Sevilla, among others.

The Santo Tomás, Colombia native has made 51 appearances for Colombia's National Team, scoring 12 goals for Los Cafeteros across all levels since making his senior international debut on June 10, 2012 in a FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Ecuador. In 2021, Muriel helped lead his home country to third place in the Copa América tournament.

TRANSACTION: Orlando City SC acquires forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player from Atalanta BC of Italy's Serie A TIM on a three-year contract through 2026, pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa.

Luis Muriel (loo-EES moo-ree-EL)

Number: 9

Position: Forward

Height: 5-11

Born: April 16, 1991 in Santo Tomás, Colombia

Hometown: Santo Tomás, Colombia

Citizenship: COL

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