When Jason Kreis heard Sacha Kljestan was on the market, he immediately explored the possibilities.
After a month of negotiating, City’s brass pulled the trigger on a deal to bring the puppet master of MLS to Orlando.
“I knew this would be a great landing spot for me,” Kljestan said.
And it’s a great get for the Lions. Kljestan fits in perfectly with what Kreis has been building since his arrival in July 2016. He has incredible vision on the pitch and no one in the league has more assists in the last three years.
But Kljestan brings so much more than goals. He’s a veteran and a leader. He leads by example every day in training with his hustle, work ethic and determination. And he does it all for one reason.
“The thing I want to do most,” Kljestan said, “is win.
“I’ve won trophies. I’ve made the playoffs every year. That’s definitely the goal, to push this team to make the playoffs and see what we can do from there.”
He is the exact sort of player Kreis, GM Niki Budalic and CEO Alex Leitão want on the team.
And it seems Kreis is the exact sort of coach Kljestan wants to play for.
“I spoke with Jason and I had a very good conversation with him. He seems very intense and very motivated and wants to win and that goes perfectly in line with who I am as a player and as a person.”
Because winning is something Kljestan has done his entire career. He made the playoffs four times at Chivas USA. With the Red Bulls, he won the 2015 Supporters’ Shield. He won the regular season Eastern Conference title again in 2016 and made it to the Conference semifinal in 2017.
Budalic put it best: “He’s a winner.”
It’s that experience and mentality that makes Kljestan such an important acquisition. It’s an ambitious signing. And with preseason camp right around the corner, it’s a sign of what’s to come.
But for all the hype now swirling around the squad, there’s one more thing that has Kljestan excited about his new team.
“The last time I wore purple, I won three championships in a row,” Kljestan said of his time at Anderlecht. “I’m excited to be wearing purple again and I hope we can bring that winning mentality to Orlando City.”
