Report: Austin FC waives designated player Emiliano Rigoni

Austin FC midfielder Emiliano Rigoni (7) during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Seattle Sounders FC in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

AUSTIN (KXAN) – According to in a report by The AthleticAustin FC has placed winger and designated player Emiliano Rigoni on waivers.

Tom Bogart and Paul Tenorio first reported the transaction. Austin FC has not confirmed the move to KXAN. Bogart reported that Rigon’s contract had an auto-renewal clause in him for 2025 if he made 12 appearances during the 2024 season. He has played in 11 games this season.

Rigoni’s contract is guaranteed until the end of this season with a two-year option. He was signed by former Austin sporting director Claudio Reyna.

Oregano came to club as a heralded offensive reliever in 2022, but he could never find his feet in Austin. Rigoni scored six goals with six assists with all but one of his goals coming last season. He assured game-winning goal against Houston on April 20 in a 1-0 road win. He started seven games this season, and for his career with the Green and Black, played in 51 games with 35 starts.

Rigoni then became the club’s third selected player Cecilio Dominguez and Austin “parted mutual ways” while Dominguez was under investigation for alleged domestic abuse.

According to Major League Soccer Roster Regulations, Rigoni is now available for any team in the league to claim. It will be available two business days after the clubs receive the notification, and the team with the fewest points per game, New England, has first rights. The waiver order moves up the board from there. Teams must offer at least $15,000 above the 2023 minimum wage. $85,444 under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. When multiple teams bid, the regulations state that both the waiver order and a club’s willingness to “absorb a Wage Budget Fee that is significantly higher than other clubs” are considered to settle claims.

If no team claims Rigon within the waiver period, he is “available to all MLS clubs on a first-come, first-served basis,” according to the regulations.