(MIAMI, FL) Feb. 12, 2015 – Former FIU midfielder Roberto Alterio officially signed last week with Miami F.C. for its inaugural 2016 season.
A 25-year-old native of Venezuela, Alterio played in a Panther's jersey for two years before graduating last spring. He played a major role during his time at FIU leading the team in points (16) and goals (7) during his junior year in 2013. Before transferring to FIU, Alterio played for USF.
"I've been training really hard for this to come," Alterio said. "My expectations are really high. I want to make an impact from the beginning of the season. I think this team can be a good impact on the league and American soccer in general."
Alterio began his soccer career in Venezuela at the age of 14 when he joined the Centro Italiano Venezolano. In 2006, he also represented Venezuela on the U-17 national team, and later joined the U-20 team. Alterio saw action in several national and international tournaments during his time with the Venezuelan national team, including the Pan-American Games, Ciudad de Quito Cup, and the Chivas International Cup. He eventually went on to play for the Caracas F.C. and Estudianted de Merida in the Venezuela Premier Division.
"We are excited to see Roberto begin his professional career with Miami FC," said FIU Head Coach
Scott Calabrese. "He is an exceptionally gifted player who can beat players 1v1, create chances and score goals. Roberto also has the physical qualities of a professional player. We are all looking forward to watching him play this season right here on campus."
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including Lime Court at FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
