Philadelphia Union: Tranquillo Barnetta to Return to Switzerland

By Chuck Booth | Sep 27, 2016

Sep 17, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta (10) reacts after being tripped by Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara (21) at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

Today it became official that the Philadelphia Union’s central attacking midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta will be returning to his boyhood club.

Initially, Barnetta was between signing an extension with the Philadelphia Union and returning to his boyhood club FC St. Gallen when his contract expired at the end of this season. Today in a statement released by the club, it became official that Barnetta will be winding down his career at home.

The signing of Barnetta was the signal of a culture shift in Philadelphia. He immediately injected a type of quality into the team that hadn’t been seen in its history. Barnetta has 75 caps for the Swiss national team while spending his entire career in the Bundesliga. This season, the signing will bear fruit with a playoff berth for the Philadelphia Union.

Barnetta has registered six goals and seven assists since joining the Union midway through last season. He has been part of the driving force behind this playoff berth as he can make something out of nothing in attacking situations and on free kicks. While his leadership will be missed in the side the team is set up well to succeed with him moving on.

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Last weekend’s tie in Toronto showed a glimpse of what a post-Barnetta lineup will likely look like. With Barnetta not making the trip, the Union started Alejandro Bedoya at the number ten and he produced. Bedoya orchestrated the offense well while offering the same range of passing and movement that Barnetta does.

While he wasn’t at clinical on set pieces as Barnetta (but who is) Bedoya rewarded Jim Curtin’s faith in him by scoring his first goal for the squad. Barnetta’s departure will also make the Kevin Kratz signing more important because while he was a depth signing he will likely play a role in central midfield next season.

If Bedoya is to move up, the Philadelphia Union will then have to find someone to play in his number eight role. Kratz can fill that need as can Maurice Edu but his contract situation will need to be handled as well. Warren Creavalle has seemingly locked up a starting role next year but it’s unknown who his partner will be.

In a team statement as well as an open letter, Barnetta expressed how much he has loved Philadelphia.

"“The entire soccer community here was so welcoming, and I’m so thankful to everyone at Philadelphia Union for making me feel so appreciated.” Barnetta said. “Playing in front of my friends and family and making plans for life at the end of my career where I want to live is a force I can’t resist.”"

While the Union and fans will miss Barnetta (and his man bun) it’s understandable why he would want to end his career at home. Having spent the entirety of his professional career outside of Switzerland one can only imagine the tug to return home. In a way, it’s like the Vincent Nogueira situation where an athlete would just like to be home.

Next: Philadelphia Union Share the Points in Toronto

Barnetta will leave the Union in a much better position than the team was in when he joined and overall that’s all that a fan can really ask. Barnetta has helped raise the profile of the team to legitimate contender and hopefully he’ll be able to close out his tenure in Philadelphia with some playoff wins or more because he’s earned it.

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