Atlanta United today announced it has signed Chilean midfielder Carlos Carmona as a Discovery Signing, using Targeted Allocation Money. Carmona will officially join the club’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“Having represented Chile at each of the last two FIFA World Cups, in addition to his extensive experience in Serie A, Carlos brings veteran leadership and a versatile skillset to our club,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said. “He fits in naturally with our style of play and also addresses an area of need. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the club.”
Carmona, 29, joins Atlanta United after playing the last nine seasons in Italy with Atalanta B.C. and Reggina. Between the two clubs, he made 155 appearances in Serie A, the top-flight of Italian football, the majority of which came with Atalanta where he played since 2010. Carmona has also represented the Chilean National team with 47 caps, including three starts during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Carmona began his career with his hometown club of Coquimbo Unido in 2004 and made more than 90 appearances over four seasons in Chile’s top division. He joined fellow Chilean side O’Higgins for the 2008 campaign before transferring to Reggina in June of that year. In his first year in Italy, Carmona made 32 starts in Serie A at just 21 years old. He made 70 appearances across all competitions over two seasons with Reggina split between Serie A and B.
Carmona moved to Atalanta ahead of the 2010-11 Serie B campaign and started 30 of his 32 matches while recording a career-high three assists. He helped the Nerazzurri earn promotion to Serie A for the 2011-12 season after they finished first in the league. Atalanta have remained in Italy’s top-division since. Over seven seasons with Atalanta, Carmona made 161 combined appearances and scored five goals with three assists.
Carmona was part of the Chilean National Team for each of the last two World Cups. In 2010, he started three matches, including a pair of 1-0 wins in group play, and a knockout match against Brazil. He played a key role in each tournament’s qualification, starting a combined 14 matches. He also appeared in all four matches for Chile during the 2011 Copa America, where he made two starts. A natural defensive midfielder, Carmona has scored one goal with La Roja, coming as the game-winner in an international friendly against Egypt on Feb. 6, 2013.
