August 15, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release
Pep Biel has arrived in Charlotte as the team’s new attacking centerpiece from Greek club Olympiacos. While on loan through the end of 2024 (with an option to buy), the Spanish attacking midfielder and winger will be looking to fill Charlotte FC’s creative void with his dynamism in and around the box.
On Deadline Day, I sat down with the Club’s Director of Scouting, Thomas Schaling, to analyze Biel as a player. He’s consistently brought goals and assists across multiple teams and leagues during his career in Europe; how will he translate that to the Queen City?
Dynamic Reputation
Originally from Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, Biel found his way to second division side Real Zaragoza in 2017 as a 21-year-old to engineer his breakout seasons.
While it had taken him some time to navigate Spain’s lower divisions as a youngster, his performances at Zaragoza sealed him his big move to Danish giants FC Copenhagen, where he found the opportunity for consistent first division soccer.
He wasted no time proving himself as a goal scorer and creator at the top level – European competition.
Biel helped Copenhagen advance through the knockout rounds of both the Conference League and the Europa League, and later completed the trifecta of European football by helping his side reach the prestigious Champions League through the qualifying round.
His 2021-22 season – during which Copenhagen won the title – was the perfect example of Biel’s potential as a creative attacking force. The Spaniard had an excellent return rate of one goal per three matches (and parlayed that into nearly one goal per match at the start of 2022-23). That’s 18 goals and 15 assists across all competitions that season.
“The creative part is there,” said Schaling. “We believe that this is a player that can provide goals and assists based on analysis of his past performances, production, and the underlying numbers at Copenhagen and Olympiacos in two competitive leagues.”
Biel showed consistent attacking production at Olympiacos, as well. He kept his hot streak from Copenhagen going in his first season, scoring ten goals and contributing four assists in all competitions.
His most recent season was interrupted by a midseason loan to Augsburg in the Bundesliga, but the attacker has demonstrated over many seasons that he can provide goals.
The question is: how does he do it, and how does that fit into this CLTFC team?
Box-Crashing…
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