Eduard Atuesta enjoys LAFC return: “I love the club”

The 3252 have many reasons to love Atuesta, who returned on loan in February. The hard-working midfielder became a club legend for helping the team to the 2019 Supporters’ Shield and other memorable moments.

Now he heads into Wednesday’s showdown against Real Salt Lake (10:45 p.m. | Apple TV – free; FS1) with 2 goals/4 assists in 20 starts. He’s also completed 156 passes into the final third, second only to LA Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig, and boasts his typically high number of recoveries and interceptions.

The season went better than the midfielder expected, especially given the uncertainty surrounding LAFC’s direction. Fresh off reaching the 2023 MLS Cup, LAFC said goodbye to another crowd favorite from the first roster: longtime captain Carlos Vela. Legendary center back Giorgio Chiellini also retired and several other regulars left their team.

“It’s not so easy when you arrive and have to integrate into a team. They have also gone through a lot of changes,” said Atuesta. “After two consecutive finals, one title won and one lost, it’s mentally hard to have lost a title. So it was about building a connection with them and helping where I can, but everyone helped me. I have the advantage that from the moment I arrived I felt like I had never left.”

That’s how Atuesta felt off the field, too. On his days off, he enjoys going to a relaxing beach in Southern California with his family, but also enjoys exploring different Latino communities in LA, especially the largest group.

“The Mexican culture is very strong here and I feel comfortable because I love everything that has to do with Mexican culture,” he said. “I feel at home here. I feel really comfortable and really enjoy the food, the culture, the people and the music.”