Reuter confirms Caligiuri departure
Speaking to reporters after last night's 1-1 draw with VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg sporting director Stefan Reuter confirmed that veteran winger Daniel Caligiuri would be departing the club after the season.
Reuter noted that negotiations with two other veterans sitting on expiring contracts, Julian Baumgartlinger and André Hahn, were still ongoing.
Thirty-five-year-old German-Italian attacker Daniel Caligiuri will not suit up for his FC Augsburg next season. FCA sporting director Stefan Reuter confirmed this news last night, saying that club and player had come to "a mutual decision". Reuter took care to laud Caligiuri as a "consummate professional" after three seasons with the club.
Reuter noted that negotiations with two other veterans sitting on expiring contracts, Julian Baumgartlinger and André Hahn, were still ongoing.
Caligiuri has featured 15 times across all competitions for the Fuggerstädter this season across all competitions, scoring one goal on the current campaign's 10th league matchday. The Baden-Württemberg-native featured much more prominently for Augsburg in the last two seasons, scoring ten combined goals in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.
After a long and illustrious career that also featured stops at Freiburg, Wolfsburg, and Schalke, it's unclear as to whether Caligiuri's active footballing career is now over. The one-time SCF academy man has racked up an impressive 372 top-flight appearances and scored 51 goals for his four Bundesliga clubs.
Reuter also commented on the futures of two other FCA players sitting on expiring contracts. Thirty-five-year-old Julian Baumgartlinger and 32-year-old André Hahn might yet receive near-term extensions. Reuter noted that decisions on that pair would be made "one matters are clear in the standings."
In other words, Reuter wishes to wait until it's clear in which league Augsburg will play next season. Baumgartlinger has proven useful in some cases when the squad needed leadership in midfield. Hahn - hampered by cartilage damage that has sidelined him for most of the year - has still served the club for a combined seven seasons.