CHESTER >> Two years after he left Philadelphia without making a shadow of an impact, Oka Nikolov loomed large at PPL Park Friday.
It’s one of those peculiarities of the interconnected soccer world that links a Macedonian goalkeeper, a Swiss midfielder and the ambitions of an American club. It’s how an inconsequential cameo can translate into Friday’s festivities for what is widely regarded as the most influential signing in Philadelphia Union history.
Tranquillo Barnetta, a veteran of 11 Bundesliga seasons and three World Cups, was unveiled Friday by the Union, two days after they announced the signing of the 30-year-old.
The path by which Barnetta arrived in Philly was rather roundabout and a little coincidental.
Two summers ago, the Union inked Nikolov, then 39, as their backup goalie after 18 seasons at German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Nikolov never appeared for the Union in a competitive game, serving mainly as a veteran backup/mentor for Zac MacMath. At season’s end, the Union didn’t re-sign Nikolov, who collected a paycheck in 2014 with NASL club Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.
When Barnetta – who has played in the Bundesliga since age 19 and spent the 2013-14 season on loan from Schalke 04 to Eintracht – sought a new adventure and the Union presented itself as a receptive party, Nikolov was one of the resources that bridged the gap.
“I was 11 years in the Bundesliga, so I was looking for a new experience, for something totally new,” Barnetta said. “And I think I found it here. Since the first contact with the guys here, I’ve felt really good that this could be a new chance for me. I’m happy that at the end we could sign this contract so that I am part of the Philadelphia Union.”
The introduction makes Barnetta available for selection Saturday against New York Red Bulls, but he and manager Jim Curtin acknowledge that he’s not 90-minutes fit yet, hindered by travel back to Europe to finalize details of the transfer.
Union technical director Chris Albright declined to reveal the specific mechanism by which Barnetta could be added to a roster with all seven international roster spots spoken for, but he did not dismiss the theory presented that a short-term loan of the injured Vincent Nogueira for the duration of his 3-4 week absence to affiliate Harrisburg City could temporarily grant relief.
Sources within the club confirmed a post on Barnetta’s Facebook page that the deal is for an initial 18 months with mutual options to extend beyond the end of 2016, lessening the risk incurred by the club. Barnetta, who was out of contact at Schalke, arrives on a free transfer. Barnetta will wear No. 85.
Barnetta fits many of the criteria Curtin and Albright outlined for a key midseason addition. He’s comparatively affordable, with a salary-cap hit under the designated player threshold of $436,250. (His actual compensation, paid down with targeted allocation money, is modestly higher.) He’s relatively young at 30, at least in comparison to the other aged European stars like Didier Drogba and Andrea Pirlo who have hopped the pond this summer.
Curtin is attracted to Barnetta’s versatility – he can play on the wing, though the manager envisions him as a central midfielder – and his ability on the ball, a level of poise and precision that will improve the Union’s efficiency offensively and defensively.
Tying it all together is Barnetta’s quiet demeanor and off-the-field persona. He’s a quiet guy who spurned interest from several European clubs for the Union, and he’s gelled with new teammates well over several training sessions, even reportedly paying for dinner on their recent trip to D.C. United.
“We’re getting a player that’s truly in his prime,” Albright said. “I think that’s something that we’ve set out to do as a club. I also think that when you look at the boxes that we want to check in terms of on and off the field, I think Tranquillo does that. As far as what we want to build and brining in guys that are winners, that’s what Jimmy always talks about, guys that have always won before and will hopefully impart some of that knowledge to our younger guys who haven’t won as much, so I think in a lot of ways, again he fits the profile of players we’d like to add now and going forward.”
“It’s a big one for the club,” Curtin said. “It was one that we presented the idea of getting the right balance of the culture, talent and the scheme of this club. Tranquillo really fit in.”
Barnetta’s credentials speak for themselves. The native of St. Gallen moved to Bayer Leverkusen at age 19 and spent eight years there before signing with Schalke in 2012. Knee injuries blighted his final season at Leverkusen and limited him to just one game in 2013-14, but he rebounded to score three goals in 22 matches in a slightly diminished role for Schalke, which finished sixth in the Bundesliga.
The fact that Barnetta had other suitors, but selected the Union can’t be overestimated. Beyond a little reassuring prestige for the club, it’s also an indication that they did something right to convince Barnetta to sign. Those appealing qualities can help ease the transition.
“I was here to watch everything and watch the guys,” Barnetta said. “The team was really cool to take me like I was playing here for a couple of years, so it was really nice, and that was one step that I made this decision or the Philadelphia Union.”
