Racing Louisville FC added experience and playmaking to its side with the signing of midfielder Alex Chidiac, the club announced Monday.
Chidiac, who was called up to Australian national team camp for the current international window, signed with Racing as a free transfer, agreeing to a one-year deal with an option for 2023.
The 23-year-old joins having recently finished a loan spell with Australian powerhouse Melbourne Victory, the A-League Women champions that won last month’s Aussie Grand Final. Chidiac was awarded the Victory Medal, given to the team’s player of the season, and was also named the players’ player of the year — two prestigious club awards after a stellar campaign in her home country.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to join Racing Louisville FC,” Chidiac said. “I’m excited to develop and learn in a new environment, and I know I’ll get the most out of myself in the amazing facilities and setup at the club. Upon speaking with coach Kim Björkegren and hearing about the vision of the team, I knew this would be a great fit. I can’t wait to get over there and join my new teammates and staff.”
Chidiac is a longtime professional who has played in her native Australia as well as Japan and Spain. She received her first senior national team call up in 2015, at 16 years old, and scored her first goal for the Matildas in a 2018 friendly against Thailand.
The Sydney native was also a fixture in the Australian youth national team setup, scoring 17 times in 22 appearances for the U-20 squad.
This past season, Chidiac totaled 1 goal and 2 assists in 14 starts for Melbourne Victory, which finished fourth in the league’s regular-season standings before winning the playoffs. She was on loan from JEF United Chiba, a Japanese club playing in the inaugural WE League season in Japan, after making five appearances there.
“Alex is a very skillful player with experience, even though she’s still just 23,” Björkegren said. “She’s good with the ball and plays the game with a lot of energy. I think Alex and Racing will be a perfect match.”
The central midfielder has also had stints at Adelaide United and Melbourne City as well as an 18-month run with Spanish giant Atletico Madrid. She scored 3 goals in 22 Madrid appearances and helped win Spain’s top-flight Primera Division title in 2019, plus reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League round of 16.
In addition to the recent A-League title and the Spanish league trophy, Chidiac also won a league crown with Melbourne City.
Off the field, Chidiac is an ambassador for Common Goal, the charitable organization started by Spanish footballing star Juan Mata that works to “pledge a minimum of 1% of all soccer revenue to drive progress” toward community organizations and soccer groups around the world. She is also the cohost of a new podcast called “The Other Side of 90” with former Aussie pro Erin Clout.