Cecilio Dominguez: Austin FC mutually terminate contract of Designated Player
By Chris Smith
Austin FC have opened a valuable Designated Player (DP) spot after mutually agreeing to terminate the contract of Cecilio Dominguez.
The 27-year-old hadn't played since mid-March after MLS opened an investigation regarding a possible domestic dispute with his partner. Dominguez was reinstated to Josh Wolff's team at the start of May but still didn't return to the field.
Dominguez arrived in Austin in August 2020 as the club's first-ever DP ahead of their 2021 expansion season, going on to score nine goals and assisting another three in 38 appearances.
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Dominguez departure clears room for Austin FC to sign Emiliano Rigoni
With Dominguez's DP spot now open, Austin have cleared the space to sign Argentine winger Emiliano Rigoni from Brazilian giants Sao Paulo.
The 29-year-old is capped twice for Argentina at senior level and is a former teammate of ATX star Sebastian Driussi at Zenit St. Petersburg.
Austin are understood to be paying $4m for Rigoni, who will arrive in Texas following a 70-game spell with Sao Paulo, in which he scored 13 goals and provided nine assists.
Rigoni also counts the likes of Atalanta, Sampdoria, Elche, and Independiente among his former clubs.