Sporting Kansas City re-signs Benny Feilhaber through 2018
Sporting Kansas City handled some of its most important off-season business Wednesday, re-signing midfielder Benny Feilhaber to a two-year contract through 2018.
Feilhaber was the subject of a $500,000 bid by Israel's Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the end of the European summer transfer window, according to SI's Grant Wahl, but the club resisted despite the possibility that Feilhaber could have left on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
Feilhaber followed a 2015 season in which he was an MVP finalist with 10 goals and 15 assists with a seven-goal, 13-assist 2016 campaign, meaning he was involved in almost half of Sporting KC's 42 goals this year. He was a standout performer in the club's tough wild-card round playoff loss to the Seattle Sounders, after which he gave an entertaining, sarcastic interview regarding the refereeing. As it turns out, that won't be his final act as a member of Sporting KC.
“It’s been our intention all along to do everything we can to re-sign Benny,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said in a club statement. “We appreciate the professionalism that he and his agent have shown throughout the process and are very excited that he is coming back to our club. Benny has been an important part of the club’s success over the past four years and we look to continue that moving forward.”
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Feilhaber has won the 2013 MLS Cup and 2015 U.S. Open Cup titles with the club and seeks more hardware in the two years to come.
“My family and I are very happy to be staying in Kansas City,” Feilhaber said. “I have always loved playing in front of our fans and for this city. It’s very exciting to be able to stay here for another two years to help this club win more trophies.”
No financial details of Feilhaber's new deal were disclosed. According to the most recent documents released by the MLS Players Union, Feilhaber was due $412,187.50 in guaranteed compensation in 2016.
