St. Louis CITY SC agreed to terms on the transfer of Niko Gioacchini to Como, an Italian Serie B (second division) club, for an undisclosed fee. He leaves as CITY SC’s co-leader for goals in a single season with 10 and joins a Como squad that is tied with Venezia for the second automatic promotion spot to Serie A.
“While always difficult to see one of our top performing players move on, we understand the attractiveness of joining European football and will be immensely proud to cheer Niko on, as he fights for promotion to Serie A,” said St. Louis CITY SC Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel. “He was a key member to our inaugural season’s success and will always be remembered for it. We wish him and his family all the best.”
Gioacchini played his best soccer to date in St. Louis after stints in France and Orlando City. He was CITY SC’s first selection in the 2022 MLS Expansion Draft. The 22-year-old striker tallied career bests in games played (36) and goals (10). Gioacchini recorded game-winning goals in back-to-back matches against the San Jose Earthquakes (March 19) and Real Salt Lake (March 26) and also tallied the game-winning assist in St. Louis’s season-opening win at Austin (February 26).
A product of Paris FC’s youth academy system, Gioacchini joined SM Caen ahead of their 2019 Ligue 2 season, most recently spending the 2021/22 season on loan at Montpellier HSC in Ligue 1. Gioacchini has totaled 88 appearances, with 12 goals and four assists across all competitions since beginning his professional career. A native of Kansas City, Mo., the American has appeared on the international stage for the U.S. Men’s National Team, making his senior debut on Nov. 12, 2020 in a scoreless draw against Wales. Gioacchini has since registered eight caps, scoring three goals and providing two assists for the U.S., including five appearances, one goal and one helper in the Gold Cup.
