soccer
Alessandro Shof continued his career in Canada. The 32-time OFB team player on Wednesday signed a contract with MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which runs until 2024. The club also has the option of a one-year extension.
The 28-year-old Tyrolean, who is the first Austrian to try his luck in Vancouver, last worked for Arminia Bielefeld and left the club on a free transfer after being relegated from the German Bundesliga.
“I’m very happy to be here. Moving from European football to North America is a big step for me,” said Schoff. He hopes to bring great success to Canada. “I can hardly wait to appear in front of the fans at BC Place,” said the former Schalke player.
Reunion with former Schalke sports director
Axel Schuster works as sports director in Vancouver, and the 49-year-old German also held the position at Schalke 04 between 2016 and 2019. Schöf and he are now seeing each other again, as he kicked off for Gelsenkirchner between 2016 and 2021.
“We’ve had Alessandro on our radar for a long time,” Schuster said. Many things happen in a versatile player in midfield. “He runs strong, covers a lot of space, has a good combination game and has a lot of experience in some of the best competitions in world football,” Schuster said.
Vancouver is currently ranked only eleventh in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Schöpf is the third current OFB player in MLS along with Christian Fuchs (Charlotte FC) and Erkan Cara (Orlando City).
