November 17, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Charlotte FC News Release
CHARLOTTE, NC – Charlotte FC today announced the Club has signed Nimfasha Berchimas to a Homegrown contract through 2026 with an option for 2027 making him the sixth-youngest player ever to sign a Major League Soccer contract at 14 years and 268 days old.
Berchimas, a winger and United States youth international, joined Charlotte FC’s academy in 2020 as a 12-year-old from NC Fusion.
Yesterday, he was called into the U.S. Under-16 Men’s Youth National team, along with his teammate James Nyandjo, to participate in the Football Federations Cup. Of the 20 players involved, Berchimas will be the youngest participant in the tournament as the only player born in 2008 while every other player is a 2007.
“I’m very excited to sign a Homegrown contract with Charlotte FC. It’s been a dream of mine to become a professional footballer,” said Berchimas. “I can’t wait for next season to begin, and I look forward to playing for the Crown.”
“Nimfasha is a young player who has continued to impress across the Academy and youth national team levels for the past year and we’re excited to sign him as the Club’s second Homegrown,” said Sporting Director Zoran Krneta. “Like any player his age, he has a significant amount of development ahead of him and everyone at the Club is aligned to maximize his progress on the appropriate timeline. As we continue to grow as a Club, graduation from the Academy to the professional level is vitally important to building a sustainable football club and we’re delighted to promote two players from our youth teams in our inaugural season.”
Over the summer, Berchimas was invited by German club Bayern Munich for a training experience within their Academy.
“On behalf of the entire Academy staff, we are extremely proud of Nimfasha and happy to see him realize his dream of becoming a professional. Signing a Homegrown contract is one of the early steps in a well-defined, long-term path for Nimfasha and today is an exciting moment for him and his family as he starts his professional journey,” said Executive Academy Director Bryan Scales. “We’re excited to continue developing the next generation of professional soccer players in the region through our academy pathway. As with Brian Romero before him, Homegrown signings like Nimfasha would not have been possible without the foundations laid by many of the local youth clubs throughout the Carolinas.”
Originally from Burundi, Berchimas…
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