Karol Swiderski marked his highly anticipated return to Charlotte FC with a start and a goal

It wasn’t clear if Karol Swiderski would play for Charlotte FC again after he left on loan to Italian club Hellas Verona in February. The Queen City side didn’t deny their designated player’s wishes to head to Europe, but they’ve also welcomed him back after a permanent move didn’t transpire. Swiderski returned to training in early July and head coach Dean Smith had no reservations about giving the forward a starting spot at his first opportunity.

The club’s all-time leading scorer didn’t disappoint. Swiderski buried a penalty kick and looked lively throughout his return to the Queen City side, getting on the end of multiple chances and leading the line in Charlotte FC’s 2-2 draw with Austin FC on Saturday. “He’s settled in, it’s not hard when he’s already been here before,” Smith said of Swiderski after the game. “He worked extremely hard and I think the goal, the penalty that he took, and the reaction from his teammates and him showed you how important that was to him.”

Swiderski was loaned to Serie A side Hellas Verona in February, with general manager Zoran Krneta saying that the club didn’t want to deny the striker’s intention to pursue an opportunity in Europe in a release. While it looked like Charlotte and Swiderski were heading for a split after the initial move, Hellas Verona never offered the price that would trigger the option to purchase the striker at the end of the loan. Swiderski, having scored two goals in Serie A 15 games, played for Poland in the 2024 European Championships before returning to Charlotte on July 8.

“I think it’s normal for the player when you want to try to play with the best players in the world. It was good to try to be there in Italy in one of the best leagues, but now I’m happy to be back,” Swiderski said on Friday. “I never (said) I didn’t like Charlotte because I think I love this club.” Swiderski said he tried to watch every game and keep in touch with his Charlotte teammates while on loan in Italy, which helped familiarize him with Smith’s style of play in addition to the two weeks of preseason training he took part in before departing. “It’s not like I leave and I don’t care anymore about Charlotte,” Swiderski said. “I’m happy to be here. I love this club. I think that this club is really amazing and this is a good place to be for every player.”

Swiderski also had time to reintegrate himself with the team in practices before returning to the pitch, as Charlotte couldn’t register him until the transfer window opened on July 18. Swiderski struck early in his first game back with the Queen City side, equalizing from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute after Iuri Tavares, who scored Charlotte’s other goal on Saturday, was fouled in the box. The goal was his 26th for Charlotte FC and his first for the club since Oct. 7, 2023. The Polish forward got on the end of two more big chances in the second half, pouncing on a poor back pass and rounding the goalkeeper before hitting the crossbar from a tight angle in the 46th minute and firing a header from close range at the opposing goalkeeper soon after.

“He performed well,” Smith said. “He’s disappointed in the dressing room because he had a couple of big chances, the header and the one where he took it around the goalkeeper, but he took his penalty really well. I thought he pressed really well, along with (Brandt Bronico), and we built up off of him really well as well.” Swiderski was replaced by the club’s leading scorer this season, Patrick Agyemang, in the 65th minute and shared an embrace with Smith after leaving the field. He praised the environment the coach has created in Charlotte since his departure in February and lauded the team’s performances so far this season on Friday. “I think it’s more calm now,” Swiderski said. “It’s a really great atmosphere and the result is also better than last year.”

And on Saturday, Swiderski took his first opportunity to contribute to that success. The Queen City side sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with 37 points from 25 games and is comfortably in the playoff picture. They won’t play their next MLS game until Aug. 24 with the upcoming break for Leagues Cup, but with Charlotte FC already on course for its best season in club history, Swiderski’s return looks like it will provide a needed boost up top. “I try to push in every training, every game and maybe the last six months was not the best for me. I have some small injuries, but now I’m back, I’m feeling good,” Swiderski said. “I’m ready to show my quality again.”