He is back, The Orlando City have just announced the return of their former head coach.

The Mane Land by Dan MacDonald
Robin Jansson, a center back for Orlando City, has signed a new contract until 2025 with a club option in 2026. This means that he might play for the purple team for three more seasons. The Lions acquired Jansson on an extension year in 2024 following the 2023 campaign, thus it is clear that the team intended to sign the star defense before the season concluded. This has finally occurred.

“Since his arrival in 2019, Robin has emerged as a pivotal member of our back line and a crucial leader in our team,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi stated in a press release issued by the club. He has demonstrated a love for this community and his teammates that comes through in everything he does. Robin has been a major contributor to our defense’s rise to the top of the league, so keeping him signed for a few more years was essential to our long-term goals.

The Swedish center was acquired by the Lions on March 12, 2019, from AIK, the top division in his native Sweden. He soon established himself as a mainstay in Orlando City’s starting lineup. Orlando and Jansson agreed to a two-year contract in 2021, with options to extend through 2023 and 2024. Ahead of his upcoming sixth season as a Lion, the club acquired those options. He has been one of the team’s most reliable players during his tenure in Orlando, winning Defender of the Year in 2023, and is most likely going to be City’s next captain following Mauricio Pereyra’s departure this past off-season.

After recovering from foot surgery, Jansson had the most successful season of his career since he joined the squad in 2023. He started 31 of the 34 MLS regular-season games he participated in for the Lions, clocking in 2,880 minutes. He received his highest grade from The Mane Land since joining the team, with a composite rating of eight out of ten. In his Season in Review article, reporter Sean Rollins stated:

With 23 interceptions, 91 clearances, 31 blocks, winning 59.2% of his duels, and a 50% success rate from 12 of 24 tackle attempts, he posed a threat to attacks all across the league. He took four shots throughout the attack, but none of them were on goal, therefore he was unable to score. Despite not recording an assist, he completed 1,380 of his 1,613 passes (85.5%), including 107 long balls and six crucial passes. The defender had struggled with Jansson’s habit of getting unwarranted bookings, but in 2023 he maintained his composure, receiving just five bookings and no red cards. He also committed 18 fouls and drew 21 fouls.

He was in the starting lineup for Orlando’s U.S. Open Cup game at Charlotte, started both of the Lions’ Concacaf Champions League games and all three Leagues Cup games, and participated in every minute of Orlando City’s three playoff games. Over the previous few years, Jansson’s play as Orlando City’s central defense partner occasionally overshadowed him; nevertheless, in 2023, Jansson proved to be the team’s most important member.

In a statement from the club, Jansson stated, “I’m very happy to sign a new contract and continue the journey we started in 2019.” “I would want to express my gratitude to the club for their unwavering support and belief in me. We are grateful for the affection and support of our fans.

Jansson has played in 159 games (153 starts) throughout his tenure in Orlando, totaling five goals and three assists. The Swedish defender owns the club record for career games played and is the only Orlando City player to have appeared in over 150 games.

The 6-foot-2 defender from Trollhättan, Sweden, has played in 134 league games (129 starts) and accrued 11,677 minutes. In his purple jersey career, he has two assists and four goals. Jansson, who frequently goes for power, has attempted 46 shots but just nine of them have found the net. Nevertheless, over the years, he has been a superb passer, finishing 86.4% of his attempts. He’s very skilled at initiating attacks with a long pass to the wings that is placed perfectly. His discipline has been a weak point in his game; over the years, he has received 29 yellow cards and two red cards. However, that improved in 2023 with just five yellow cards during the season.