Julian Gressel Email & Phone Number

My hard work on the pitch and off has taken me from my hometown of Neustadt an der Aisch, Germany to United States where I had the opportunity to realize two dreams: becoming a professional soccer player and receiving a college degree. Like many, my pathway did not follow a straight line. I have always loved soccer, playing it from a very young age, but did not find my footing in the sport rightaway, being released from my academy as a teenager. That’s when I learned how leaving your comfort zone could reveal strengths you didn’t even know you had. At age 15, I stepped away from competitive soccer and enrolled in an. exchange program that brought me to the United States, an experience thatallowed me to see what I could do on my own and learn to love the sport ofsoccer again.I returned to Germany with a renewed energy to pursue competitive soccer, but also knowing that I had the capacity to go after more than one dream. Becoming a professional athlete did not mean I needed to give up my desire for a college degree, so I made the choice to come back to the United States and become a student-athlete at Providence College.During my time with the Friars, I was proud to be part of a team that saw three NCAA tournament appearances in four years. In addition to our team success, I also honored to be named the Big East’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2016.After graduating with a BA in Business Administration and Management, I was fortunate to be selected by Atlanta United as the overall 8th pick in the 2017 Super Draft and move to a city that loves soccer as much as I do. I was able to win a MLS Cup with Atlanta in 2018 and in my third season we also won the US Open Cup and the Campeones Cup. In 2019, I used my platform to organize a charity golf tournament, where we were able to raise close to $100k for a great organization in Soccer in the Streets.Before my fourth season, I was traded to D.C. United, where my career as a professional soccer player continued for the next 2.5 years. In the nation’s capital, I was able to gain some valuable experiences on and off the field and was blessed with the landing the most important job of my life, fatherhood. In July 2022, I was then traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada where we were able to win 2 Canadian Championships in a row in 2022 & 2023 for the first time in franchise history. In July 2023, my journey within MLS continued with a move back to the U.S. to the Columbus Crew.

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  Professional Soccer Player

  Major League Soccer

  Jan 2017 - Present - Columbus Crew

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  Providence College

  Business Administration And Management, General