The Colorado Rapids and designated player Juan Ramirez have mutually agreed to sever ties, the club’s spokesman announced on Twitter Thursday night.
“Colorado Rapids Soccer Club can confirm that the club and Juan Ramirez have mutually agreed to terminate the midfielder’s contract,” Ryan Madden, Rapids spokesman, said in the tweet.
Colorado Rapids Soccer Club can confirm that the club and Juan Ramirez have mutually agreed to terminate the midfielder’s contract.
— Ryan Madden (@Ry_Madden)
Ramirez, now 24 years old, was signed in February 2015 from Argentinos Juniors in .
When his signing was announced, Paul Bravo, the Rapids technical director at the time, . He also credited the Rapids’ Director of Soccer Claudio Lopez for getting the deal across the finish line.
While the agreement opens up one of the Rapids’ three designated player slots, it’s hard to classify the Ramirez signing as anything but a complete failure. Ramirez appeared in 27 games (15 starts) for the Rapids in 2015, scoring one goal and adding three assists. He never played for Colorado again, and the Rapids did not gain any compensation in releasing him from his contract.
Ramirez was in January 2016, and then was .
When Ramirez was loaned to the club in Spain, then-coach Pablo Mastroeni said the young midfielder had a hard time acclimating to the United States.
The Denver Post was unable to reach Ramirez for comment.
