Photo Credit – LASK
Four years since embarking on the first club move of his career, American defender George Bello is thriving in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Bello and his LASK teammates are quickly preparing for the resumption of their domestic schedule after having a six-week winter break. LASK will square off with city-rivals BW Linz in the quarterfinals of the Austrian Cup on Friday, seeking a spot in the semifinals for the sixth time in the past eight seasons.
In addition, Bello and LASK will also continue their push for a top-six finish this spring when they resume league play against WSG Tirol on February 7. The club currently sits second in the Bundesliga standings, three points behind league-leading Red Bull Salzburg after 17 matches played.
Bello praised the squad’s overall togetherness in helping them to a strong first half of the season
“I think there’s a lot of aspects that go into it for sure, but I think the main thing was just all of us coming together, getting closer to each other, and knowing we each have a common goal,” Bello told SBI when asked about what led to LASK’s first-half success. “We all have our individual goals, but I think the main thing was just all of us really coming together and playing as a team, playing a style that we want to play and executing it every single game.
“We can’t wait to get kicked off again, starting with this cup match on Friday against a city rival,” Bello added. We want to go as high as possible. We’re all in a good situation right now, but we know there’s still a long way to go so we’re staying grounded because we know we haven’t been perfect at times this season. For us, we just need to keep working hard, stay humble, and good things will happen.”
Bello is in the midst of his third season with LASK since joining the club from German side Arminia Bielefeld in 2023. The 24-year-old wingback/left back has scored one goal and added three assists in 17 appearances this season, continuing what has been a productive spell in Austria.
He is closing in on 100 appearances for LASK and 200 for his first-team as a whole after previously coming through the ranks of Atlanta United and featuring in the top-two divisions of Germany with Arminia Bielefeld. Bello has credited each stop of his club career to date, revealing his unfortunate back-to-back relegations with Bielefeld played a major role mentally in his development overseas.
“Every move has helped me out a lot and I thank god to have stayed healthy and play in as many matches as I have,” Bello said. “Getting all of those matches under my belt has helped and given me confidence to keep learning. I’m still young and I know I still have a lot to work on, but continuing to earn these reps in a good, aggressive league like the Bundesliga has helped me for sure.
“Atlanta was my starting point and being at Bielefeld where I learned so much about being mentally strong because of everything that the club and I went through during those times also helped,” Bello said. “I don’t regret one bit going there from Atlanta. I think I’ve been able to grow as a person and a player as well as being more mature in both ways. So each step has given me an opportunity to really grow as a football player, but also grow outside of the football pitch too.”
Bello is currently one of just two American players in the LASK squad, following Samuel Adeniran’s move to the club last January. The Austrian Bundesliga has a small number of Americans overall in comparison to other of Europe’s top leagues, with former DC United defender Donovan Pines also featuring regularly for Grazer AK.
Although Bello doesn’t have many American connections in Austria, it hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the country as a whole and relishing the competitiveness within the league. He thanked LASK for making his adjustment a comfortable one, especially making the move from one European country to another.
“I felt like I was able to get into the culture here really fast,” Bello said. “Already spending some time in Europe helped with that, but I have felt good here, it’s felt like a second home to me. I can’t complain, I felt comfortable the first week I got here so that definitely helped get my confidence back after some tougher moments at Bielefeld.
“It’s good to have some Americans here as well,” he added. “Pinesy [Donovan Pines] and I chatted before our match against one another and we swapped our jerseys after. When I was going home for winter break, I also bumped into him at the airport so we were chopping it up. Austria is a beautiful country and not a bad country to play in at all.”
2026 will not only see the latest edition of the FIFA World Cup come to United States soil, but it also marks five years since Bello made his U.S. men’s national team debut. Bello has earned seven USMNT caps to date for his country, with his last coming against Grenada in November 2022 during Gregg Berhalter’s reign as head coach.
Mauricio Pochettino has since taken over for Berhalter, winning 13 of his 22 matches in charge of the program. The former Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea manager watched as the USMNT closed 2025 with a five-match unbeaten run, which included results against Uruguay, Paraguay, Australia, and Japan.
Although Bello has yet to feature under Pochettino, he is one of many players fighting to be part of the USMNT’s final roster later this spring. Bello knows the importance of delivering a strong second half of the season, knowing it could serve as a springboard back into the USMNT picture.
“It’s a dream to represent your country so it was a dream come true for me to play with them back then,” Bello said about his USMNT experiences. “I haven’t been there for a while but that doesn’t shape how I play. I want to keep playing, keep being humble, and know if I keep playing well that I’ll get another opportunity.
“He’s equal,” Bello said about Pochettino’s decision-making abilities on USMNT rosters. “If you’re playing well, it doesn’t matter where you play, you’ll get an opportunity. It’s good for the U.S. as a whole heading into a big year. I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a really good year to work and a really exciting year for the country to show our support towards the sport.”
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