The Colorado Rapids announced today the signing of German attacker Stefan Aigner on a free transfer from 1860 Munich. Aigner has signed a three-and-a-half year deal and will occupy an international roster spot.
Aigner, 29, will be added to the Rapids’ roster upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“We’re excited to add a player of Stefan’s caliber to our roster for the next three-and-a-half years,” said Rapids Sporting Director and Interim General Manager, Pádraig Smith. “As an organization we are committed to fielding a forward thinking side and bringing in Stefan – a technical and versatile player who can excel in multiple attacking roles – will help us achieve that vision.”
Aigner joins the Rapids after spending the 2016 campaign with his hometown club 1860 Munich in Bundesliga 2, appearing in 24 contests and registering four goals and three assists for the Lions.
In his first stint with 1860 Munich from 2009-12, Aigner found the back of the net 25 times and added 21 assists in 101 games. A summer transfer to Bundesliga giants Eintracht Frankfurt saw Aigner excel in Germany’s top flight from 2012-16.
During his time at Frankfurt, Aigner would go on to register 28 goals and 27 assists in 136 matches. He also saw the field in seven Europa League contests during the 2013-14 campaign, scoring in a second-round clash with FC Porto.
In all, Aigner (pronounced EYE-gner) appeared in 274 matches in the top two divisions in Germany, tallying 25 goals and 25 assists in the Bundesliga and 31 goals and 25 assists in Bundesliga 2.
The Rapids (6-11-2; 20 points) are coming off a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC. Next up for Colorado is a Saturday trip to the Bay Area to take on the San Jose Earthquakes in the second and final regular season meeting. Kickoff at Avaya Stadium is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MDT.
