Atlanta United filled a key role in its front office Wednesday with the hiring of Dimitrios Efstathiou as the vice president of soccer operations and strategy.
Efstathiou joins Atlanta United from MLS, where he previously was the vice president of business and legal affairs. He will start Aug. 6.
Efstathiou will replace Paul McDonough, who left the club in May after the results of the league’s investigation of Inter Miami’s signings while he was employed there.
Efstathiou will oversee Atlanta United’s soccer operations, managing the salary cap and the business side of player transfers. Vice president Carlos Bocanegra will continue to oversee the technical department, including scouting, player personnel and coaching management.
“He will be a valuable strategic addition to our front office with his legal background and comprehensive knowledge of MLS commercial and competition guidelines,” Eales said in a statement provided by the club. “Along with his broad domestic and international soccer relationships both on the commercial and technical side, Dimitrios brings a strong familiarity with roster management and the player-acquisition process to our technical department.”
Eales said he and Bocanegra have worked with Efstathiou on numerous player signings. Eales, who also is on the league’s product and strategy committee, has worked with Efstathiou there, as well. He said the three have great chemistry.
Efstathiou joined MLS in 2011 as senior counsel. He led the league’s player-acquisition process and competition policies.
Eales said that he also liked Efstathiou’s experience working on deals with Soccer United Marketing, describing him as someone with a broad experience of the game.
“I am thrilled to be joining Atlanta United as vice president of soccer operations and strategy,” Efstathiou said in a statement provided by the club. “I was able to join MLS during a period of rapid growth, and the experience and insight I gained at the league level has been invaluable. Atlanta United has a reputation for excellence, and I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to the club’s front office. I look forward to working with Darren and Carlos and further building on the club’s success.”
Efstathiou joins a group of MLS executives who have left the league office to join clubs, including Tim Bezbatchenko, now with Columbus; Meghan Cameron, now with Sporting KC; and Will Kuntz, now with LAFC, among others.
Asked why Efstathiou chose to leave a job as a VP for MLS, for one as a VP of a club, Eales said that he thinks it is because like the league, the team is growing.
“There will be other ventures as well that grow our soccer portfolio,” he said.
Eales said Wednesday that the team hopes to fill its other vice president position, which oversees business operations, in the next few weeks. Catie Griggs’ last day in that position is Friday.
The club has filled the position vacated by Lucy Rushton, formerly head of video and technical analysis, when she left to join D.C. United. The responsibilities of the job, mostly split between data analysis and video breakdowns of team and opponents, have been divided. Handling the data analysis is a new hire, Arjun Balaraman. He previously was an intern for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA and Nashville in MLS. Video breakdowns will be handled by two people currently in-house.
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