South Charlotte Today

Pep Biel has arrived in Charlotte as the team’s new attacking centerpiece from Greek club Olympiacos. While on loan through the end of 2024, with an option to buy, the Spanish attacking midfielder and winger will aim to fill Charlotte FC’s creative void with his dynamism in and around the box.

On Deadline Day, Club Director of Scouting Thomas Schaling analyzed Biel as a player. "He’s consistently brought goals and assists across multiple teams and leagues during his career in Europe; how will he translate that to the Queen City?" Schaling remarked.

Originally from Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, Biel joined second division side Real Zaragoza in 2017 as a 21-year-old. His performances at Zaragoza earned him a move to Danish giants FC Copenhagen, where he proved himself as a goal scorer and creator at the top level of European competition.

Biel helped Copenhagen advance through the knockout rounds of both the Conference League and the Europa League, later reaching the Champions League through qualifying rounds. During Copenhagen's title-winning 2021-22 season, Biel scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions.

“The creative part is there,” said Schaling. “We believe that this is a player that can provide goals and assists based on analysis of his past performances, production, and underlying numbers at Copenhagen and Olympiacos in two competitive leagues.”

Biel continued his consistent attacking production at Olympiacos, scoring ten goals and contributing four assists in all competitions during his first season. A midseason loan to Augsburg in the Bundesliga interrupted his most recent season but demonstrated his ability to provide goals over many seasons.

Advanced statistics are harder to come by for the Danish Superliga, but one thing stands out about Pep Biel on FBref.com: during that 2021-22 title-winning season, he led the league by a wide margin in both shots on target and shots on target per 90 minutes.

“He’s a good box-crasher,” Schaling noted. “He’ll definitely do a lot of good things in and around the box. He wants to arrive in the final third where he can be on the ball in dangerous areas rather than just dropping deep.”

Schaling emphasized Biel's foundational attributes: “Pep has the vision of a top attacking player, technical quality to execute what he sees, and an engine to keep going over 90 minutes.” The front office also believes Biel will fit well with teammates due to positive reports about his off-field behavior.

“As we learned more about him off the field," Schaling added, "it quickly became apparent that he has all intangibles needed to succeed. Everyone who worked with him spoke highly of him."

As Biel arrives in Charlotte, work on securing his visa will begin immediately. While eligibility for upcoming matches remains uncertain, Head Coach Dean Smith aims for quick inclusion into match selections.

Given that Biel's deal is a loan through season-end with an option to buy permanently ahead of 2025, he has limited time to make his case. However, this move is aimed at improving Charlotte FC's chances for playoffs.

“This move improves us in the final third," said Schaling. "Adding creativity helps push forward in playoff races.”

Charlotte FC hopes their new attacking midfielder will help deliver their best-ever regular season as playoffs loom.