AMSTERDAM — After a drawn-out process, American goalkeeper Luis Robles has inked a two-year contract with 2.Bundesliga outfit Karlsruher SC.
The signing has not been announced by the club as of yet, but MLSsoccer.com confirmed with the player's agent that the business was concluded on Thursday. Though Robles will initially back up Kristian Nicht, his representative Dr. Andreas Kirsch expects the 26-year-old to get his shot as the starting job soon enough.
For his part, Robles is just happy to finally join Blau-Weiß after waiting to sign for a few weeks.
"My family and I are really excited about the opportunity to play for KSC," Robles told MLSsoccer.com. "During the summer, we knew early on that this is where we wanted to play. However, the process was long and because of certain circumstances within the club, signing me required a creative process.
"I understand that I will be going into a situation where I will have to fight to get the starting position, but this is something that intrigues me and I faithfully believe is the right step for my career."
After failing to reach agreement on an extension with Bundesliga risers FC Kaiserslautern this summer, Robles also had other interest in Germany and in the Spanish second flight.
The US international started in 21 of 22 appearances over two season with the Kaiserslautern, with six shutouts to his credit, but only once as they won the 2.Bundesliga crown last term.
Last season, Karlsruher went unbeaten over their final seven league matches to finish well clear of the drop zone in 10th.
