Atlanta United FC: Three Front Office Keys to Success

By Ian Thomas | Aug 1, 2015

With the recent unveiling of Atlanta’s newest sports team, soccer fans have something to celebrate.

Unlike the Silverbacks, Atlanta United FC will play in the highest soccer division in North America, Major League Soccer. While new sport franchises are often looked at with curious thoughts (how will they do, will they be competitive enough, do they have a real chance to immediately make an impact in the league), Arthur Blank has already taken steps to insure that the club will hit the ground running. Let’s look at how Atlanta United FC plans to have success right away.

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Apr 16, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed (left), team owner Arthur Blank (center), and MLS commissioner Don Garber (right) pose with a soccer ball following the announcement of an MLS expansion team in Atlanta. The event was held at Ventanas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

1) Arthur Blank, Owner– First and foremost, Arthur Blank is the billionaire owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and now the proud owner of Atlanta United FC. Blank is not afraid to spend money (look at the new stadium being built specifically for the Falcons and United). Blank is 100% behind the team, and is willing to spend money to put a winning product on the field.

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With this in mind, it’s not far fetch to believe that Atlanta United FC can emulate other big spenders such as New York FC or the L.A. Galaxy. It will take time to tell who we sign, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Blank shell out some serious cash for a big name (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rio Ferdinand, or Gianluigi Buffon to name a few who may someday want to join).

2) Carlos Bocanegra, Technical Director– Bocanegra was the captain for the United States men’s national team. As a versatile defender, he played in various leagues; this includes the MLS, EPL, Ligue 1, and Scottish PL. As technical director, Bocanegra will scout and sign players. He will also help with contracts, salary caps, as well as work with youth development.

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As someone who has strong ties with the USMNT, MLS, EPL, and other premier leagues, Bocanegra will have great scouting access and knowledge of future star players. Furthermore, as a previous player for some of the highest leagues in the world, Bocanegra knows what it takes to succeed in the most competitive divisions; he will be able to scout players he believes have what it takes to make the next level.

“We are going to build a first-class organization on and off the field that will be a source of pride for the entire community”-Arthur Blank on Atlanta United

3) Darren Eales, President – Mr. Eales is probably the lesser known upper management out of the three. Eales has a strong background in soccer; he was a player, and more importantly, he was Tottenham Hotspur’s director of football administration.

Taking a quick look Eales twitter pictures, shows what he brings to the table. Rubbing elbows with Sir Alex Ferguson, United States soccer legends, and other EPL teams, Eales brings serious connections to the team. Furthermore, he knows how to run and put a winning team on the field at the highest level.

"Eales has worked on some of the biggest transfers in EPL (Bale to Madrid), as well as MLS (Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe, and even DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham)."

While these factors don’t necessarily grant a 100% success rate, they definitely give United a great head start. As the inaugural season draws closer, the fans will get a better understanding of where the club is heading (through head coaches, players, and trainers).

I have no doubt in my mind that Atlanta United FC can emulate the success that other expansion teams have had (such as the Seattle Sounders). The future is bright for Atlanta, and who knows, maybe United will be the first team to bring a title to Atlanta since the 1995 Atlanta Braves.

What factors do you think will be key for Atlanta United FC to hit the ground running?

Next: Darren Eales: United FC Has a Chance to be Atlanta's Club

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