Tessmann joins Lyon from Venezia to become French team’s first American player

LYON, France (AP) — United States midfielder Tanner Tessmann completed his transfer to Lyon from Venezia on Tuesday and signed a five-year contract, becoming the French team’s first American player.

Lyon said it paid the Italian club a base fee of $6 million euros ($6.7 million) for the 22-year-old Tessmann, who was captain of the U.S. Olympic team at the Paris Games.

Tessmann had joined Venezia from FC Dallas before the 2021-22 season. Along with U.S. teammate Gianluca Busio, the Alabama native helped Venezia win promotion back to Serie A.

Tessmann’s godfather is Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, who offered Tessmann a scholarship after watching him kick a 64-yard field goal at a Clemson summer camp in 2019. Tessmann stuck with soccer, though.

Lyon has lost its first two games of the season in the French league and hosts Strasbourg on Friday night.

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