Atlanta United hires Dimitrios Efstathiou as Vice President of Soccer Operations and Strategy

On the same day the MLS secondary transfer window opened, Atlanta United announced the appointment of Dimitrios Efstathiou as the club’s new Vice President of Soccer operations and strategy.

Efstathiou has experience within MLS. He’s joining Atlanta United directly from Major League Soccer. At the league level, he worked as the Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs for MLS and Soccer United Marketing. He will report to Atlanta United’s president, Darren Eales.

Per the team's press release:

Efstathiou will oversee the soccer operations team for the club including leading strategy across Atlanta United and the club’s soccer properties. He will also be responsible for managing the administration of the salary cap and player transfers. Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra will continue to lead the technical department including player personnel and coaching staff management, performance and scouting for the First Team, ATL UTD 2 and Academy program.

Bocanegra and Dimitrios have worked together in the past, which will hopefully translate into an effective working partnership at Atlanta United.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with Dimitrios over the last few years and I know his work ethic and deep knowledge of MLS will be a great complement to our staff,” Bocanegra said. “He has a thorough understanding of league roster construction policies and guidelines and brings a wealth of knowledge in international commercial areas that will add another dimension to our long-term strategy. I’m looking forward to working alongside him and building a strong partnership as we grow the club.”

The hire comes at an important time for Atlanta United. This transfer window could have a significant impact on the team’s prospects this season, and it seems like Efstathiou will be at the heart of Atlanta United’s transfer window dealings.

What do you think of the hire and how it will impact Atlanta’s transfer window? Let us know in the comments below.