FRISCO, Texas—First all signs pointed to his departure, but it now appears FC Dallas star Fabian Castillo will be coming back to Frisco.
Head coach Oscar Pareja and multiple team spokespersons confirmed the deal between FC Dallas and Turkish side Trabzonspor has fallen through and the MLS club is awaiting Castillo's return.
“I expect to have Fabian back and into our training,” Pareja said Sunday. “That’s what we want. He’s always welcome and very loved here in this community and this team.
“We always want the best for Fabian - always the best for him,” Pareja continued. “You know I love him like my son. I’d do anything possible to keep helping him be the player he wants to be.”
Pareja has a close relationship with Castillo already, even putting the midfielder up in his house when Castillo first transferred to the league six years ago from Colombia.
He said he was aware of all the pictures, tweets, and rumors swirling around the transfer, including video of Castillo in Turkey, and called it “normal for a player of that capacity, for a player that’s really wanted around the world” to be at the center of transfer discussion.
The team also has no hard feelings, with multiple players saying they expect everything to be back to normal when Castillo returns.
“I know this is a place he loves to be, and if that’s what he wants, then awesome,” said Ryan Hollingshead. “But if he comes back, we’d obviously love to have him back.”
Castillo’s return couldn’t come at a better time – Dallas, who have the best record in MLS league play, begin their CONCACAF Champions League campaign on Thursday (vs. Real Esteli | 8 pm ET on UDN). They're also still alive in the US Open Cup with a semifinal vs. the LA Galaxy on Aug. 10.
But even though Pareja wants the best for his Colombian protégé and would enjoy welcoming him back into the fold, his main focus remains his squad
“At this moment, we’re just thinking about Real Esteli, and then we’ll think about the Open Cup semifinal, then wait for Kansas City [in league play]. And I will train these guys,” Pareja said. “Fabian should be back, and we’ll wait. But the team is first, and that’s my priority.”
