CINCINNATI — Will Luciano Acosta be wearing orange and blue next season? FC Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright couldn't answer that question with a yes or no Tuesday afternoon but said the team is in "good discussions" with the former MLS MVP and his reps about the future.
After FCC's early exit from the playoffs earlier this month, Acosta outwardly contemplated his future with the club.
"Today I played for [the fans] to remember as my last at the club," Acosta said in a postgame interview.
While he continued to say he might not leave Cincinnati, Acosta noted that the comment wasn't a gut reaction to a disappointing loss.
"This is something I've been thinking about for a while now, talking with those close to me, talking to my family," he said.
Days later, Acosta skipped out on FC Cincinnati's year-end player interviews, with Laurel Pfahler of Queen City Press reporting he had "family obligations" that forced him to leave. The three-time MLS All-Star had previously stated that he had been dealing with challenges "away from the game."
Albright alluded to issues off the pitch for Acosta and his family during Tuesday's press conference.
"Lucho had a difficult year in some ways, outside of the incredible production, between injuries and things that he's spoken about," Albright said. "We've continued to support him ... as far as his future with FC Cincinnati, those conversations are still ongoing."
Acosta, Albright said, is "clearly" the best player in FCC history. And he said the club wants to do what's best for both parties as they discuss the future.
"We want to obviously do what's best for us, but also make sure that him and his family are in a good place and comfortable — tremendous amount of respect for him as a player, as a person, and we're in good discussions with him and his reps about what that looks like going forward," Albright said.
In the meantime, Albright continued to refer to Acosta as the team captain and a huge part of their plan. He currently remains under contract until 2026, so the club would have to approve of any moves.
"Should Lucho be with us next year, we'll continue to build around him and try to have the success that we've had," said Albright.
