After a season in which the wheels appeared to come off the Vancouver Whitecaps, the club has secured a new Axel to try and steady the ride.
The club has hired veteran German soccer executive Axel Schuster as its new sporting director.
The move comes after former club president Bob Lenarduzzi was moved to a new position as club liaison in August, kicking off a “global search” for a new sporting director.
Schuster comes to the club with two decades of experience at German outfits FSV Mainz 05 and FC Schalke 04.
He’s also fluent in English, Spanish and German.
According to the Whitecaps, Schuster will oversee all technical aspects of the club from youth development to the first team.
“We worked with a leading global sports recruitment firm, conducted an extensive search, interviewed numerous highly-qualified candidates, and hired our top choice in Axel,” said Whitecaps FC co-owner Jeff Mallett in a media release.
“Axel brings great vision and a wealth of knowledge and passion. His addition is a monumental step forward for our club.”
Whitecaps vice-president of soccer operations Greg Anderson and head coach Marc Dos Santos will report to Schuster.
He spent the last three years as senior director of professional football for FC Schalke 04, leading the team to a second-place finish in the 2017-2018 Bundesliga season.
The team also made it to the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League.
“When I first learned about this opportunity, I was immediately interested and excited. I’m really happy to be here, in this city, and officially start,” said Schuster.
“There’s a lot of energy in everybody in this club. It’s up to me and everyone at the club to work together, to bring this energy and achieve our targets.”
Schuster also served as youth coach, youth director and head of football operations during his 22 years with FSV Mainz 05, where he worked with current Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.
Lendarduzzi’s exit as president in August came as the club struggled both on and off the pitch.
The team ended the season in last place in the MLS Western Conference, and second last overall in the league.
It has also faced allegations of harassment and bullying by a former coach of the women’s team.
Fans held walkouts during Whitecaps matches to protest the club’s handling of the accusations.
Co-owners Jeff Mallett and Greg Kerfoot later issued a letter of apology that said the club cares deeply about the women’s “pain and suffering,” while also defending its actions in responding to a series of blog posts that resurfaced the allegations from 2008.
— With files from Sean Boynton and Jon Azpiri