Garcia is second defender to depart club
Fabien Garcia was an important part of the San Antonio FC defense that helped lead the club to the USL Championship Playoff final in 2022.
Now, though, the SAFC defense has another hole to fill this offseason after the club and Garcia agreed to part ways.
Garcia is the second defender to leave San Antonio FC since the end of last season. Connor Maloney retired from professional soccer in December. In all, San Antonio FC has lost five players since the end of last season. In December, forward Justin Dhillon signed with El Paso, while midfielders Jacori Hayes and Juan Carlos Azocar signed with North
Carolina FC and Phoenix Rising.
Garcia announced the decision in a tweet Wednesday.
“San Antonio fc thank you I’m leaving after this amazing 2 years, I loved the time we shared together,” Garcia said. “Fans, teammates and friends made me feel home in this city.
“This title in 2022 was a memory that’ll last forever.”
San Antonio FC confirmed the move Thursday in a club statement.
“Fabien has always been a leader, but there’s been a lot more asked of him from a leadership standpoint and he’s risen to that challenge,” San Antonio coach Alen Marcina said in July.
Garcia, a native of Colomiers, France, came
to San Antonio before the 2022 season after playing for Austin Bold from
2019-2021 and 10 years in France before that. In his two seasons with SAFC,
Garcia played in 63 games and scored three goals. Garcia was near the top of the USL Championship for clearances and interceptions in his time in San Antonio.
In 2022, Garcia played in 30 games and scored one goal. Last season, Garcia rotated along the San Antonio back line, playing in 33 games and scoring two goals. Garcia even filled in at goal in the final minutes of a 3-1 loss at Sacramento last June after goalkeeper Jordan Farr earned a red card and San Antonio was out of subs.
SAFC now has 10 players under contract for 2024. That includes three new players who joined in December: midfielder Mohamed Omar and forwards Luis Solignac and Juan Agudelo. San Antonio
FC is holding open tryouts Friday.