By DAN KARELL
One of the 20 Ligue 1 captains is heading to the United States to continue his career.
Last-placed club AC Ajaccio announced today that captain Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi has a contract offer from an unnamed club in the United States and could make the transfer next month. Though it wasn’t included in Ajaccio’s release, French publication L’Equipe is reporting that the 28-year-old midfielder will head to the Chicago Fire.
“The club has decided not to oppose (Pierazzi’s) departure,” reads the official release. “It is very likely that Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi leave (Ajaccio) in early January.
Both MLS and the Fire have yet to publicly comment on this report.
The proposed move would be Pierazzi’s first ever away from Ajaccio, where he came through the youth system and made his first-team debut in 2006. Since then, he’s made nearly 200 appearances in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1 combined. Pierazzi helped lead Ajaccio back to the first division in 2011. This season, Pierazzi has played 16 times for Ajaccio with no goals scored.
MLS currently has 12 players from France (not including those born in Africa and raised in France like Peguy Luyindula) in the league, with the New York Red Bulls Thierry Henry leading the group.
Ajaccio are rock-bottom in the 20-team Ligue 1, with just nine points from 19 games and only one win this season.
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What do you think of this report? Where do you see Pierazzi heading? Impressed that a regular in Ligue 1 would want to come to MLS in his prime?
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