Atlanta United signed former United States Men’s National Team player Carlos Bocanegra to a multi-year contract extension Monday as club vice president and technical director.
Terms of the deal were not announced for the UCLA product, who first was brought to the club as technical director in 2015, with vice president duties added in 2017.
The club went 13-9-12 (51 points) this season and is the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed in the playoffs as it tries to return to the form that earned it the MLS Cup title in 2018. Atlanta United missed the expanded playoffs in 2020, going 6-13-4 (22 points) and finishing in 12th place in the conference.
“Carlos came to Atlanta United straight from a decorated playing career, and immediately put the same energy and passion that he had on the field into his first front-office role,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said in a release. “Since entering the league in 2017, Atlanta United has established itself as a top MLS club, and Carlos has been an integral part of that success.”
Bocanegra, 42, started his professional playing career in 2000 with the Chicago Fire, where he played four seasons as a defender before moving to Europe. He first played in England with Fulham starting in 2004, while also playing in France and Scotland. He returned to MLS in 2013 and played two seasons with Chivas USA.
The 2020 inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame also played 110 career games with the USMNT from 2001-12, scoring 14 goals. He played in the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.
–Field Level Media
