Karol Swiderski: King Without a Crown
Charlotte FC’s first-ever DP signing appears ready to sneak out of town right before the 2024 MLS season starts, leaving behind a mostly empty legacy
As I sit down to write on the night before Europe’s major transfer windows close, Karol Swiderski is somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight to Italy for a medical test before he can officially move to Hellas Verona in Serie A.
In fact by the time you read this, he’s probably already become Hellas Verona’s newest addition, sent away from Charlotte FC “on loan” but with everyone pretty much understanding that once he’s gone, he’s unlikely to come back.
So how did we get here?
The Crown has signed dozens of players in its brief but busy two-years of existence, and only Swiderski ever got the entire Black & Blue carpet rolled out for him in a full-scale Welcome to the Club event.
Coincidentally enough it was the final week of January two years ago when several dozen hardcore supporters of a club that had never even played a match showed up to a cold, empty Fortress to welcome Karol to the Carolinas. The Polish international forward had been bagging goals in the Greek league and attracted some interest from bigger clubs in Europe, but Zoran and company convinced Karol to join this project as the club’s first Designated Player.
To quote the late, great Tom Petty: The future…was wiiiiiiiiiiide, open.
Since that magical evening no other CLT signing has had their own special meet-&-greet at the stadium. This felt like the start of something huge. I didn’t make it to BOA that night but esteemed CSS Host Johnny Hayes and his wife did attend; their excitement afterwards was palpable and infectious…this was Our Guy.
On the show Johnny and I got into the habit of referring to Swiderski as King Karol. It just made sense, right? The DP, the focal point of the offense, the guy we’d be counting on to lead the squad to glory...if our club was to be called “The Crown” then Karol was a perfect fit as our “King.”
But Wednesday night provided a harsh reminder of the difference between a crown that’s anointed and a crown that is earned. Karol never needed to pull any metaphorical swords from any metaphysical stones to win the coveted role of most important player on a brand new club, it’s a title he was granted by royal decree, and now it’s a title he’s ready to abdicate.
As we counted down the final hours toward the close of Europe’s incoming transfer window, right when I’d convinced myself that Swiderski would start the 2024 season with us, the news started to trickle in, and then it started to flood. Afternoon whispers turned into evening shouts and eventually Polish media put out a report that was #BackedUpByBogert shortly afterwards...King Karol was wheels up to Italy just two days before everyone else in his club took off in the exact opposite direction to finish preseason in Southern California.
Obviously, Swiderski was never shy about seeing Charlotte as a stepping stone to perceived bigger-and-better things back in Europe, he literally never stopped talking about it. For that reason I knew it was probably a mistake to let him become my favorite player, but I let him become that anyway. What can I say, the guy delivered goals better than anyone else we’ve had, and that masked a lot of issues during his tenure here. Even tho we never really won anything with him, I truly believe he was one of the most talented in-the-box dribblers in all of MLS, and he’s made a few plays that will forever remain burned on my brain. I loved watching him play, and I’m sad on a personal level he is leaving.
But his stubborn desire to get back across the sea at all costs appears to have resulted in a panic-stricken move that carries a strong risk of regret...one which might cause short-term issues for CLTFC but which could also turn out to be addition by subtraction. Ultimately, the manner of Karol’s departure will obscure the good things he did in his time here and highlight the moments that made you say hmmm, as he leaves behind a legacy of empty production, unmet team expectations, and a steadfast refusal to “bloom where he was planted” here in Charlotte.
On a human level, clearly I understand, and I hold no actual grudge against Swiderski’s desire to ply his trade closer to home. I love Charlotte, North Carolina with all my heart but I can’t make anyone else feel any kind of way about it…to each their own. I have left many jobs in many charming cities because I considered them stepping stones to where I really wanted to be. I can certainly understand where he’s coming from.
That said…as a supporter of the Crown my first reaction was fury. I started off angry with the club itself; I’d felt reassured we had set a price for Karol that we weren’t budging off of, so to see reports that he’d be leaving on loan blew my mind initially. I started immediately going thru every stage of grief all at once, and when the storm passed I found some clarity…this move appeared entirely engineered by Karol, but the club indulged him because Dean Smith, to be quite honest, probably doesn’t really feel that he needs him.
My first clue was remembering something Deano said to media last Tuesday when asked about playing Enzo Copetti and Karol Swiderski together:
At the time his comment about “they’re both DPs but they’re not DPs that I chose” stood out to me…but again I thought the club was holding firm on its asking price for Karol and I didn’t think anyone Over There would meet it. Now reading between the lines in hindsight, it’s clear Smith was already wondering whether or not Swiderski fit into his plans for this season, and eight days after those comments were made, so is his decision. With Karol perpetually wanting out anyway, it made it that much easier for the new gaffer to say thank u, next.
Of course I don’t have official indication that this is how it went down…it’s just the only explanation that makes any sense to me. From this lens, my anger and disappointment over the bad breakup shifted focus from the club, to Karol himself. Why would he be so determined to leave a situation where he’s the face of an exciting club with massive attendance and a dynamic new coach, to go to a team that is fighting for survival in the worst Big Five league and will almost certainly be relegated?? I guess he just missed home or else hated being here just that much??
Again, whatever Karol’s reasons for wanting to get back so badly I will never know and I don’t even pretend to judge, but if he thinks a relegation battle at the bottom of The Boot is better preparation for Euros this summer than a hot start to the season in Charlotte would be, I don’t know what to tell him but he’s wrong. I think our club did pretty right by him for the last two years, and now he’s leaving us a bit in the lurch for a lame situation…and don’t take my word for it, just look at what fans of the Polish Men’s National Team are posting in response (h/t @JayAForrest for these screengrabs):
Swiderski will arrive at Hellas with all the pressure to save a doomed club that has been selling off so many of its previous star players this season that supporters held a mock yard sale outside of the stadium last week to protest ownership. I’m not kidding, this actually happened!!
I can’t understand why Swiderski thinks this is the right move at the right time for his career, in fact I personally see it as the beginning of the end of his career, but we’ll see how that works out down the line. What I do know is he was so desperate to leave that he took an awful move and now we’re left to pick up the pieces just a few weeks before the season, but we have the right man in place to do it in Dean Smith.
Karol leaving is great for Enzo Copetti. Karol leaving is great for Brecht Dejaegere. Karol leaving is especially great for Patrick Agyemang. I’m willing to bet that Deano saw a lot more passion and potential in Florida last week from all three of those guys than he did from Karol, deemed the Polish talisman surplus to requirements, and that was that.
As I reach the end of these thoughts, Karol’s plane has likely landed in fair Verona, and Charlotte FC may already be preparing to lay their scene for the next big DP to deserve a special stadium welcome at the Fortress. We’ve been told that some outgoing dominoes needed to fall before we could make our big incoming moves, and the biggest one of all just took a tumble. Here’s hoping whoever we anoint in his place actually wants the keys to the kingdom this time.
👏👏👏
All I can say as I’m updating my Apple TV+ and watching the Top 5 goals of 2023, Karol wasn’t in it once.
I think both sides got what they wanted from each other. A new club got a name that was young and exciting to build a fan base, while a player got to be a superstar in a small pond and an increase of worldwide attention.
We both needed this!
Karol thought Charlotte was bigger than it was and Charlotte that that Karol was bigger than he actually was as well. Karol (and frankly all of our DPs so far, just haven’t planned out.) This is why I believe the gaffer said what he said.
I wish Karol the best of luck in his new endeavor but honestly it seems like a dumpster fire. My only issue with this loan is that Karol will realize that the grass is not always greener on the other side and will play hard just enough to wait out the loan. Deano (I prefer Deaner actually) will have this club turned around to the point where we won’t need him anymore.
The king will change by the love of the Crown will endure. For the Crown!