The Polish community in the US is not as big as others (Italian, Irish, Greek) but it is evident, especially in big cities with ports. Not Charlotte. But over the past thirty years, the city has had the second-highest growth rate in the country, so it would actually attract migrant working hands.

During this period, the presence of Polish immigrants in the city increased greatly. Characteristically, outside the most famous main entrance, marked by the public library, are works of art by Polish artists, as well as an inscription informing the public that Charlotte and Wroclaw have been brothers since 1993.

Last but not least, Karol Svinderski, born and raised in Ravic, an hour from Wroclaw, will have a very familiar landmark in his new commercial building from next Monday when it is expected (only first, then follow and his family) in the US metropolis formally complete his move from PAOK to the newly formed Charlotte FC.

The people who judged the deal

In December 2019, businessman (and owner of NFL team Carolina Panthers) David Tepper secured MLS permission to set up a Charlotte-based team and compete in America’s professional league for the first time in 2022.

Since then, game planning for an entire football organization has essentially begun. The position of sports director was initially taken by Serbian Zoran Krneta, who has gained experience both on the free football market and in various clubs. All decisions affecting the newly formed Charlotte FC went through him and are still ongoing.

The organization chart was staffed and all necessary relevant positions were filled. The scouting department responsible for the Eastern European part is well staffed, the second Serbian employee, Davor Brasanac, took over in April 2020.

Last, before filling the squad, the coach. So last summer the reins were handed over to a 37-year-old Spaniard, Miguel Angel Ramirez, whose CV was marked by conquering the 2019 Copa Sudamericana with Independiente del Vage from Ecuador, which secured him a “promotion” to Brazilian .but there without such success.

What is special about Ramirez’s case is that he actually started his coaching career when he spent a year in Greece in 2010 following an Erasmus programme. At the time he was working in the infrastructure departments of Las Palmas but saw no future in coaching.

However, his stay in Greece was linked to the simultaneous presence of Ernesto Valverde and Manolo Jimenez on the benches of Olympiacos and AEK. He met them, spent a lot of time with them and felt confident that he would get the motivation and impetus to continue on the benches.

Signed by Ilia Ivic

Staffing is a demanding process. To date, the newly formed team consists of 23 players from 15 different nationalities. Swinderski will be the 24th and second Pole in the squad after Lodz took on 22-year-old stopper Jan Sabocinski.

The icing on the cake was a striker, and that’s what people in Charlotte have been looking for in recent months. Ilia Ivic, now a year after leaving AEK and his technical director role there and returning to player representation and mediation, was informed of this search and suggested that Swinderski start the relevant process and play a catalytic role as mediator during the negotiations to take over .

The Polish striker was vetted by the scouting department and qualified (by a margin…) as first choice with the approval of everyone at the club – securing coach Martinez’s preference. In fact, from the moment “Svinder” was informed about the interest, “Svinder” immediately showed positive attitude towards the move to the USA, the American club proceeded as planned.

First, he ensured he would have no domestic competitors by declaring the Pole in a relevant list essentially similar to the draft (which also exists in MLS) and essentially securing exclusive negotiating rights with the player, without to be able to subdue him further. American Championship Club.

After this happened, the move to PAOK followed with the submission of the first offer. It was placed about two weeks earlier, that is, about when Jose Boto arrived in Thessaloniki for a permanent installation. Proposal significantly lower than that of the final deal in which the two teams arrived exactly last Wednesday when it was announced.

2.5 times more

At first, PAOK hesitated whether to proceed with the concession of the Pole. On the one hand, he had only renewed last summer, on the other hand, key player Oliveira is expected to return from injury at the end of February, Akpom is on loan, while for σόolak the Croatian’s experience has always counted, first presence in Toumba and Malm’s expression για to buy him .

In the end, however, the American pressure paid off. The print that translated so much into the final proposal, it has been revealed, reached about 5.5 million euros (in PAOK will land 5, due to the 10% retained as a percentage of Swinderski’s rights by his former team Jagiellonia) and that puts this deal in the 4th place of the most profitable sales in the history of the club, with 250% profit in relation to the amount spent on the purchase of the pole exactly three years ago.

The pressure was compounded by Swinderski’s explicit will to cross the Atlantic himself, securing a 60 per cent increase in his earnings at PAOK while also more than doubling overall earnings in the four years he has signed with Charlotte FC compared to what he would have if he played out his contract with PAOK until the summer of 2024.

And so all resistance was broken and with the approval of both the owner of the “bicep” and his trainer, the deal was completed, with Swinderski becoming the (by far the second) most expensive acquisition of the newly formed American team – according to MLS regulations – the agreed amount transfer to the American League and from there pay out to PAOK. So it is predicted that this will be the equivalent regulation in the US professional championship (therefore the transfer has not yet been officially announced).

So, with that background and specific broad line, for the first time in history an American professional team bought a soccer player directly from a Greek club.

It shouldn’t be the beginning…