Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak depart Charlotte FC

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Karol Swiderski, Charlotte FC's franchise leader in career goals, is headed to Serie A side Hellas Verona on loan while teammate Kamil Jozwiak is going to Granada CF in Spain.

As the January transfer window for the major European soccer leagues drew to a close on Thursday, two of Charlotte FC’s first designated players, the category created for spending big bucks on big players with big names or big talent, or, in a best-case scenario, both, came to an end.

Both Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak are leaving for new teams. After days of speculation and rumor, the club announced that Swiderski is being sent on loan to Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona with his fellow Poland national teamer Jozwiak headed to Granada CF in Spain.

"This opportunity is in Charlotte FC's best interest as we reconfigure our roster under a new head coach,” said Charlotte FC General Manager Zoran Krneta in a statement. “Karol has always given his best on the pitch for us, and he was clear with his intention to pursue this opportunity. In this situation, the Club was not going to stand in his way."

"We now have key roster-building mechanisms available to us that we can use to bolster our squad throughout the remainder of this window and during the summer transfer window.”

The loan agreement includes a purchase clause that would trigger if Verona escapes relegation from Serie A. They are currently 16th in Italy’s top flight, but flirting with the relegation zone with 16 matches remaining. That would prevent Swiderski from being tied to a second-tier team, and Verona from having to pay the full transfer fee with their revenues about to plummet. Their hope is that the forward, nicknamed “Swigoalski” during his two seasons in Charlotte, will help keep them up.  

Swiderski, 27, joined Charlotte ahead of the club’s 2022 expansion season and has been the team’s most productive player over its first two seasons with 25 goals and 13 assists in 70 appearances over all competitions.

On the plane to Spain

Later in the afternoon, the club announced Jozwiak would be joining LaLiga club Granada CF on a permanent transfer.

Jozwiak came to Charlotte in 2022 from Derby County, then in the English Championship division. Plagued by injuries that limited his availability, he appeared in 44 league matches with two goals and 10 assists.
“We’d like to thank Kamil for his time in Charlotte and wish him the best on his move to Granada and throughout the rest of his career. Kamil will have a great opportunity in La Liga, and we are happy to have facilitated a move with his representatives to make all parties satisfied” said Krneta in a release from the team.

Soccer superstore is not closed

Transfer windows are more about rules governing players going to a team, not going out.

Even though the window for Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue Un, Bundesliga or other teams to sign a player you know they desperately need to contend or survive the season is now shut, the exit door is still open, essentially until the transfer window for another association closes.

That means while no team in any league where the window has closed – e.g., all the above and more – can buy players from an MLS club, they can sell to them until April 23. So, if you’re in full panic mode now, cursing the heavens that your team is doomed because they haven’t filled the roster by this week, pace yourself.

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