In its search for a general manager who can align sporting operations from its first team right through its youth academy, Minnesota United decided Khaled El-Ahmad is worth the wait.
The club last week hired him to replace fired decision-makers Adrian Heath and Mark Watson. It did so uncertain when El-Ahmad's current team — Barnsley F.C. in England's third division — will find replacements for him as CEO and sporting director and release him from a contract that expires next summer.
"I don't love that from a timing perspective, but I believe 100 percent he is the right candidate," Minnesota United CEO Shari Ballard said Wednesday. "He's the person I wanted in the job. Having a bit of a delay is worth the tradeoff in my judgment."
Ballard calls El-Ahmad's arrival to start work full time "TBD," during an off season when decisions on contract options, free agents, draft evaluations and, most importantly, a new coach soon must be made.
Until then, El-Ahmad will help make those decisions along with Ballard and, among others, current staff members Hank Stebbins, Sean McAuley, Manny Lagos as well as ownership.
"He's not here full time, so he's not making all those decisions," Ballard said in a media teleconference. "But he has the ability to have input on that."
About a timeline, Ballard only said the head coach will be hired by preseason training, which begins in early January.
"People are communicating really well," Ballard said. "I have a lot of confidence in the people already inside the club. We're aligned how we're thinking about things. I'm super happy the way things are going."
