Duties to be shared by President and GM Diego Gigliani and Technical Director John Hackworth as the Club Embarks on its Search for a New Sporting Director
St. Louis CITY SC today announced the departure of the club’s sporting director, Lutz Pfannenstiel. With the MLS Summer Transfer Window closing last week, President and GM Diego Gigliani and club Technical Director John Hackworth will work with the team’s current sporting staff on ongoing roster management and construction -- including player contract negotiations -- while the team searches for a permanent replacement.
A former German soccer goalie and sporting executive who played and worked at the highest levels of the sport across the globe, Pfannenstiel was hired in the summer of 2020 as CITY SC’s first-ever sporting director. He oversaw the creation and growth of St. Louis CITY SC’s sporting department from the Academy to MLS NEXT Pro to the building of the training center and the first team. Pfannenstiel was instrumental in the club’s early on-pitch success, which culminated in CITY SC being the first MLS expansion team to win its regular-season conference title in 2023. As part of his role in building the club’s sporting infrastructure, Pfannenstiel established the team’s core values in relation to player development, and championed a high-intensity pressing, team-first style of play.
But as CITY SC enters its next phase and looks to elevate its performance after two back-to-back years of inconsistent play and on-field challenges, the plan is to move in another direction while building on the foundation Pfannenstiel established.
“These decisions are never easy and with the legacy Lutz built during his time here, he will always be part of the extended CITY family,” said CITY SC President and GM Diego Gigliani. “From the very beginning, Lutz has shown real passion and commitment for this project and the foundation he established was integral to the club’s historic first season.”
“As we enter the next phase of the club’s long-term plan to lift up the region and help both the team and St. Louis achieve its potential, the next five years will be extremely important and believe a change in sporting leadership will help in the club’s pursuit of its goals,” continued Gigliani. “Unfortunately, we’ve struggled to create sporting stability and haven’t been able to meet the expectations of our owners or our fans, despite increasing our investment in the squad consistently.”
“Lutz was one of our most important hires in the early days of the club…and deserves so much of the credit for our early success,” said CEO and member of CITY SC’s ownership group, Carolyn Kindle. “But more than that, he believed in the ownership group’s vision of being about more than just soccer and embraced the St. Louis community. This club and this city can’t thank Lutz and Amalia enough for all they have done for CITY SC.”
Gigliani and Hackworth will assume Pfannenstiel’s responsibilities as the team finishes out the 2025 season and looks to address the steps the team needs to take to ensure future sporting success.
St. Louis CITY SC (5W-16L-6D, 21 points) returns to the pitch against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, August 30 at 7:30pm Central Time.
