After spending most of the offseason in limbo, David Mateos was released by Orlando City on Friday.
The club exercised its option to buy out the Spanish centerback’s guaranteed contract after excluding him from all preseason training and activities.
A few weeks ago, Lions head coach Jason Kreis made clear Mateos had no future with the club. Kreis said Orlando City worked to find playing options elsewhere for Mateos but nothing came together, leading to Friday’s decision.
Mateos was the fourth-highest paid player on the team last year at a reported $453,333, according to salaries released by the MLS Players Union.