LAFC Signs Free Agent Midfielder Ilie Sánchez

LAFC announced today that the Club has signed free agent midfielder Ilie Sánchez to a two-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season.

“Ilie is a player I have long admired not only for his ability on the field but also for his character and professionalism, which make him a great fit for us,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “We trust these qualities will help LAFC in our commitment to winning on and off the field for years to come.”

Sánchez, 31, comes to LAFC after five seasons with Sporting Kansas City, where he was named to the 2018 MLS All-Star team for his performance in the midfield and selected as Sporting’s 2018 Club MVP. A break-out player in MLS since his arrival in 2017, Sánchez made 33 MLS starts and helped Sporting win the U.S. Open Cup Championship in his first MLS season. Overall, Sánchez made 171 appearances with SKC, scoring 11 goals and registering 13 assists across all competitions and was recognized as the Club’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2019.

The Barcelona native joined Sporting Kansas City in 2017 from TSV Munich 1860 and brings with him over eight years of professional experience in Spanish and German football.

Sánchez first joined FC Barcelona’s youth academy in 1998, playing two years at La Masia. He continued his development with local clubs U.E. Catalonia, P.B. Colibanc, and U.E Cornellá before making his return to La Masia in 2007.

In 2009, Sánchez was promoted to Barcelona B, and helped the team earn promotion to La Liga 2 in his first professional season. Ilie appeared in 114 games during his five years with FC Barcelona B.

In 2014, Sánchez signed with Bundesliga 2 side TSV Múnich 1860, making 26 appearances and registering one goal in a total of 1,885 minutes during the 2014-15 season. In 2015, Ilie returned to Spain’s La Liga 2 with Elche CF on loan, starting 13 of 27 appearances and recording one goal and one assist in 1,393 minutes.