Austin FC: Claudio Reyna the perfect foundational appointment

This week, Austin FC appointed New York City FC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna to perform the same role as they look towards 2021 expansion. He is the perfect foundational appointment.

Austin FC are gearing up towards expansion in 2021. After Anthony Precourt moved on from their plans to relocate and revamp the Columbus Crew, Major League Soccer agreed to an expansion team based in the largest market without a professional team in the major American sports.

And so, with great potential for growth, a massive market, and the chance to immediately rival two other Texas-based teams, Austin FC have begun planning for the product that they will put out on the pitch.

Before you can think about the team, however, it is important to nail down who will build and then manage the team — this is a lesson that Inter Miami CF seemingly did not attend. Austin are learning from their mistake and getting ahead of the game.

In their attempts to make the most of their expansion, Precourt and co. have turned to an individual who understands mastering such a process better than anyone else, New York City FC Sporting Director, Claudio Reyna.

Earlier this week, Reyna was appointed to the same role in Austin, becoming the first sporting director of the club. In a statement, Reyna expressed his honour at taking the role, speaking passionately about his Latino heritage and the plans he hopes to implement in Texas:

"“I am excited to proudly join the ongoing community engagement efforts that Austin FC has implemented well with the passionate followers of our sport in Austin, and there is a large part of me that is looking forward to working directly with Austin’s impressive Hispanic and Latino communities, particularly as my Latino heritage is an important part of my life story. I am focused and committed to building a strong soccer operations group within Austin FC that will set high standards from day one so that all who wear the Austin FC crest upon their jersey will do so with integrity and make our supporters proud. Strong working relationships are a fundamental aspect of any successful organization and I look forward beginning the process of adding talented staff to the Austin FC soccer operations department.”"

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This appointment is the perfect foundational piece for Austin FC. Reyna was the sporting director of NYCFC from their inception in 2013 and helped build one of the most dominant MLS teams from the get-go. There were — and still are — off-field problems with NYCFC’s bid, specifically regarding their stadium and other facilities, but from an on-pitch perspective, they have been one of the most successful expansion sides in the entire league.

Hiring the right sporting director is one of the foundational pieces that any and every team must get right. They are the individual who manages the personnel of the team, likely hires the head coach, has crucial influence over the entire footballing operations of the organisation. If you have a bad one, or not one at all, you can find yourself in trouble. Just as FC Cincinnati.

There is still much work to be done for Austin to master their 2021 expansion, of course. This is a long-winded process that involves a lot of turning cogs, all of which must fit with one another for the entire machine to run smoothly.

Nevertheless, getting the right sporting director is one of the most important and cornerstone decisions. And Austin FC have got that right. Everything else now simply has to follow in line.