FC Cincinnati has made official the acquisitions of Czech midfielder David Douděra and Argentine defender Julián Malatini as the MLS summer transfer window closed Sept. 3.
Douděra, 28, from SK Slavia Prague of the Czech First League, will join the Orange and Blue on a contract through the 2027-28 Major League Soccer season with an option for the 2028-29 season.
Malatini, 25, joins the club on loan from SV Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga through June 2027 with the option to make the move a permanent transfer. He will occupy an International Roster Slot.
Both must complete paperwork to receive a P-1 Visa, which will take at least two weeks. Neither is likely to play in the team’s next three games through Sept. 12, but could be in training
and available for the Sept. 19 match at Houston. They will be in constant contact with the coaching staff in the meantime.
Both players are tasked with helping a defense that is third-worst in MLS in goals conceded (51). They have extensive experience playing in the European Champions League and in the European pro leagues.
General Manager Chris Albright said defense has been the priority during the transfer window, as he and the coaching staff feel the deep and diverse attacking group didn’t need any additions. Cincy is second in MLS in goals scored with 49.
“I think we have enough offensive talent,” Albright said Sept. 3. “We looked at opportunities and, frankly, we thought it was, in some ways, unfair to bring in someone to kind of drop on top of those guys that had a lot of production.”
Although the transfer window is now closed, Cincinnati can still sign unattached free agents, and Albright hopes to add one or two new players through that route.
Julián Malatini adds a key piece at center back for FC Cincinnati
Malatini brings three seasons of Bundesliga experience to Cincinnati. The 6-foot-3-inch center back scored twice in 32 career top-flight league appearances with Werder Bremen.
Malatini trained on several occasions with Argentine Youth National Teams and was part of the Argentina U-23 Youth National Team training for the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament before exiting to join Werder Bremen.
Malatini has had several injuries in recent years, including ankle surgery in the spring, but he was available off the bench for Bremen’s season opener Aug. 30.
“With Julian, we feel good,” Albright said. “We have his physical data from training. He is a high-level athlete. Bundesliga experience at 25 years old with those athletic traits. So we really don't have concern about the injuries.”
Albright said the club looked at over 300 center backs.
“Center back was a need. Clearly, we're not doing a good enough job defensively,” he said. “And so the addition of Julian, we're excited about. Pedigree-wise, Argentina U23s then have Bundesliga experience at 25, and be physically, athletically what we look for. And most importantly, he's a worker. He's a winner. He's learned German and English, and he's a bright kid that wants to get better. And we think his ceiling is not close to being reached.”
David Douděra is a potential starter on the wings for FC Cincinnati
Douděra, 28, has made nearly 350 professional appearances in Europe over the past 10 seasons. He was named to the Czech National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and started in their match against Mexico.
Douděra has scored 24 goals in 153 career appearances for Slavia Prague since joining the Czech giants ahead of the 2022-23 season. Douděra and the Red and Whites won the Czech First League each of the past two seasons.
Douděra played in seven of Slavia Prague’s eight 2025-26 Champions League matches last season.
Douděra and new teammate and countryman Pavel Bucha have shared the field six times at the national-team level, twice for the Czechia U20s and three times for the U21s. Most recently, both started for the Czech National Team in their friendly on May 31 against Kosovo.
With Douděra playing wingback, Albright said he should upgrade the defensive strength at that position. Bucha has been starting at right wingback a lot this season but is a more natural central midfielder on the inside.
“Lovely kid, a worker, a winner, works great,” Albright said. “Pavel, who knows him very well, says ‘I'm competitive, but David's at a different level.’ So hearing that from Pavel is really comforting. Player with a ton of experience, Champions League experience, World Cup experience. So we think those two pieces can kind of maybe shore up some of the leaks in the back.”
Albright said he has a lot of defensive abilities on the outside.
“He’s able to defend forward like we like to do and anticipate plays in midfield,” Albright said. “He can be dominant in the air. He can run and he can run at a good rate. I think he's got room to grow on the ball and I think he would tell you the same.”
FC Cincinnati is still aiming to win trophies in 2026
Cincinnati’s 4-0 loss at Nashville Aug. 29 virtually ended any slim hopes the team had at winning the Supporters’ Shield this season. The up-and-down season the club has had (8-7-7, 31 points) is a setback from the 2023 Supporters’ Shield championship season, and 2025, when Cincy finished a point shy of the trophy. And the club has had disappointing exits from the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup tournaments this year.
But Albright said the team is capable of winning the MLS Cup championship. Cincy is sixth in the Eastern Conference, currently in solid playoff position, and Albright said the team can make a playoff run.
“My job, where I sit, is to put us in contention, put us in a playoff position to hopefully be to contend for MLS Cup,” Albright said. “We've set really high expectations and Nashville is having a season like we had in our Supporters’ Shield season. That being said, we didn't win an MLS Cup that season. So the playoffs present a different opportunity.”
What the future holds for FC Cincinnati
Albright acknowledged rumors that two European clubs, Hull City of the English Premier League and Real Betis of Spain’s La Liga, put in bids for forward Kevin Denkey during the transfer window. He said the club rejected those bids, and he was in communication with potential replacements to bring in if necessary.
“We spent a lot of money for Kevin,” Albright said. “He's been very productive for us. I think he can be more productive. I think he thinks he can be more productive. (We told him): Come trust us and we're going to put you in a better place. That also has to meet FC Cincinnati's financial valuation and it just didn't. We were ready and willing because I think that's a really good place for Kevin to go, to the Premier League or a Champions League club, and I think it's a testament to how people see him. But ultimately it's got to work for all parties and it didn't work for us. We’re happy that we have Kevin and we're going to go try to compete for a championship.”
He also acknowledged rumors that MLS club Austin FC had recruited him to be their new general manager, but he wasn’t interested.
“It’s always flattering to have interest, no different than our players when they have interest from abroad,” Albright said. “That being said, I'm really proud of what we built here at FC Cincinnati. I continue to be focused on winning with FC Cincinnati now and in the future. Really proud of the trust that I have in ownership and ownership has in me.”
MLS will have a lot of changes in 2027, led by incoming commissioner Larry Berg. MLS will have a 14-game sprint season with playoffs in the first half of the year before shifting to a permanent fall-to-spring season calendar later in the year.
“The sprint season will present a different challenge as to how we manage the roster for that short amount of time and then the transition into the new schedule,” Albright said. “But we're constantly addressing things with an eye to the future. Not going to give away any l secrets, but we feel comfortable going into 2027.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Meet FC Cincinnati's new defensive acquisitions, Douděra and Malatini
