Dec 16, 2024 - Sports

Atlanta United hires Chris Henderson for sporting director role

Thomas Wheatley

An individual wearing a white athletic workout suit sits in a high-back leather chair with "eparco" on the headrest — Inter Miami CF Sporting Director Chris Henderson speaks during a press conference to introduce Argentine coach Gerardo Martino as Inter Miami's new coach in Miami, Florida on June 29, 2023. Inter Miami appointed Martino, the former Barcelona and Argentina coach, to take charge of the Major League Soccer team, setting up a reunion with compatriot Lionel Messi. (Photo by Marco BELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Atlanta United has hired Chris Henderson as the team's sporting director as the once-golden Five Stripes look to rebuild.

Why it matters: Atlanta United fired head coach Gonzalo Pineda in June and dismissed longtime technical director and vice president Carlos Bocanegra in September.

Henderson, who has helped build rosters and coordinate top talents, will play a key role in creating stability and direction for the 2018 MLS champs.

Zoom in: The former U.S. men's national team and MLS midfielder joins from Inter Miami CF, where he helped manage a roster of talents like Lionel Messi and win a Leagues Cup in 2023.

Prior to Miami, Henderson spent 12 years at the Seattle Sounders FC as technical director.
While there, he worked with Garth Lagerwey, who's now Atlanta United's president and CEO. During that period, the Sounders made four MLS title game appearances in five years, the AP notes.

What's next: Hiring a new Atlanta United coach — the team's fifth permanent coach in less than a decade.

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Atlanta United hires Chris Henderson for sporting director role

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