SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC announced on Thursday the club had signed defender Richard Windbichler ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval and receipt of the player’s International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.

Windbichler comes to San Antonio after playing around the world for 15 years, boasting experience in the top Austrian, Korean, Chinese and Australian leagues. He most recently spent time with Chengdu Rongcheng in China’s Super League, featuring in 54 matches over two seasons and recording a pair of goals.

“We’re thrilled to announce the addition of Richard to our team,” said SAFC Head Coach Alen Marcina. “With extensive experience in notable leagues and competitions such as the AFC Champions League and UEFA Europa League, he stands out as an exceptional defender. A true leader, Richard is an ultra-competitive player, hungry and motivated to contribute to the team’s success. We eagerly anticipate his arrival in San Antonio to seamlessly integrate into our team identity.”

The 32-year-old defender began his career with Austrian Bundesliga side Admira Wacker, appearing in 131 matches and netting eight goals in six seasons. He then made the move to Austria Vienna, registering 2,601 minutes from 2015-17. Windbichler became the first Austrian to feature in the South Korean K League 1, spending two seasons with Ulsan HD FC. In 2017, he helped the team win its first Korean FA Cup and the following season was named to the 2018 K League Team of the Year. Additionally, he started in 10 AFC Champions League matches with the club, scoring twice.

After a stint in Denmark, he played for Australian A-League club Melbourne City FC (2019-20) and then returned to South Korea to play with Seongnam FC (2021). A native of Vienna, Windbichler made 12 appearances for Austria’s U-21 squad early in his career while also competing for his country at the U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels.