AUSTIN FC NAMES KHALED EL-AHMAD CHIEF SOCCER OFFICER AND SPORTING DIRECTOR

Austin, TEXAS (August 25, 2026) – Austin FC announced today that the Club has appointed Khaled El-Ahmad as Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director, placing the experienced global football executive in charge of the Club’s Soccer Operations.

El-Ahmad joins Austin FC after most recently serving as Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director of Minnesota United FC and brings nearly two decades of experience across Major League Soccer, European football and City Football Group. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles encompassing roster construction and management, scouting and recruitment, technical strategy, player development, value creation and organizational leadership.

In his new role, El-Ahmad will oversee all functions of Austin FC’s Soccer Operations, including roster construction and management, scouting and recruitment, player development, and the Club’s complete player pathway from the Academy through Austin FC II to the First Team. He will report directly to Austin FC Chief Executive Officer Andy Loughnane.

El-Ahmad will lead Austin FC’s sporting leadership group, working closely with Andrew DiLallo, Dean Costalas and Ethan Finlay as the Club continues to build a modern, integrated Soccer Operations structure. Jim Curtin, previously announced as Austin FC’s next Head Coach, will report directly to El-Ahmad when he joins the Club following the conclusion of Austin FC’s 2026 MLS season. El-Ahmad will work closely with Curtin to establish a shared sporting vision and create an environment where coaching, recruitment and player development are fully aligned.

“We are thrilled to welcome Khaled and his family to Austin FC,” said Austin FC Chairman, Majority Owner and Founder Anthony Precourt. “Throughout our search, Khaled distinguished himself through his global experience, deep understanding of Major League Soccer, and the clarity of his vision for how a modern sporting organization should operate.

“He has demonstrated an ability to identify and develop talent, construct competitive rosters and build strong teams of people around a common purpose. His collaborative leadership style, disciplined and data-informed approach to decision-making, and commitment to building sustainable success strongly align with the ambitions of Austin FC. We believe Khaled is the right leader to guide the next chapter of our sporting organization.”

“Joining Austin FC is an exciting opportunity, and I’m grateful to Anthony, Andy and the ownership group for the trust they have placed in me and my family,” said El-Ahmad. “Austin FC is a Club in one of the most dynamic cities in the country, with passionate supporters, significant ambition and the foundation to build something that can be successful for a long time.

“My responsibility is bigger than building a roster. It is to help build a sporting organization with a clear identity, strong people, aligned processes and a relentless commitment to improving every day. Sustainable success comes from having talented people working together, making good decisions consistently, and creating an environment where players and staff can perform at their best and continue to improve every day.

“I’m excited to listen and learn, then work alongside Jim, our sporting staff and everyone across the Club to establish a clear way forward. We want to be ambitious, we want to be brave, and we want to build an Austin FC that this city and our supporters can be proud of — and that competes consistently for trophies.”

El-Ahmad was born in Lebanon to Lebanese and Czech parents and raised in Sweden. He played in the youth system of his hometown club, IK Sirius FK, before moving to the United States to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Having lived and worked across multiple countries and football cultures, El-Ahmad speaks several languages, an experience that has helped shape his international approach to leadership, relationship-building and talent identification.

Early in his career, El-Ahmad worked across coaching, scouting, recruitment and data analysis roles in the United States and Scandinavia before becoming Head of Recruitment for Djurgården Elitfotboll AB in Sweden’s top division. During his tenure, Djurgården reached the Swedish Cup Final in 2013.

In 2016, El-Ahmad joined City Football Group as the organization’s scouting lead for Concacaf and Scandinavia while also supporting roster construction and recruitment for New York City FC in the period leading up to NYCFC’s 2021 MLS Cup success. During his six years with City Football Group, he created and led an international scouting and recruitment network and contributed to roster-building efforts across the organization.

El-Ahmad joined Barnsley FC in England in 2021 as Chief Executive Officer and Sporting Director. He oversaw the club’s sporting, business and commercial operations, including technical strategy, roster construction and management, player trading, coaching appointments and organizational development. During his tenure, Barnsley qualified for the EFL League One playoffs in consecutive seasons, finishing fourth and sixth, and advanced to the promotion playoff final at Wembley Stadium in 2023. The club also successfully developed and transferred several players during that period.

El-Ahmad returned to Major League Soccer in December 2023 when he was appointed Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director of Minnesota United FC. In that role, he led Minnesota’s sporting operations and guided the Club to the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of his two full seasons, reaching the Western Conference Semifinals in both 2024 and 2025 after the Club had missed the postseason in 2023. In 2025, Minnesota finished the MLS regular season with a club-record 58 points.

El-Ahmad and his staff also placed a strong emphasis on player development, collaborative recruitment and creating sustainable value within the roster. Canadian international striker Tani Oluwaseyi developed into an important First Team contributor during El-Ahmad’s tenure before Minnesota transferred him to Villarreal CF in Spain’s La Liga for a club-record fee.

The club also acquired defender Anthony Markanich in 2024 for $50,000 in General Allocation Money. Markanich subsequently developed into one of MLS’ top emerging left backs, earning selection to the 2026 MLS All-Star Roster.

El-Ahmad earned both a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a Master of Business Administration in international business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also holds a Sports Management Leadership Diploma from Örebro University in Sweden and completed The FA Level 5 for Technical Directors, The Football Association’s advanced development program for technical leaders in professional football, focused on sporting strategy, leadership and high-performance environments.