CHICAGO (June 6, 2018) – The U.S. Soccer Federation has appointed three-time FIFA World Cup veteran Earnie Stewart to be the new General Manager of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Stewart, with 30 years of experience as a player and in technical roles for clubs in the Netherlands and United States, becomes the MNT’s first General Manager following the creation of the position by the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.
Stewart, who assumes the role on Aug. 1, 2018, was introduced during a teleconference with U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro and CEO Dan Flynn at 1 p.m. ET. Stewart spoke about his pride in returning to manage a team where he was just one of 17 players to earn 100 caps and one of only 11 MNT players to represent the United States at three FIFA World Cups (1994, 1998 and 2002).
“Having played for the U.S. Men’s National Team, I’m honored by the opportunity to return to help lead this rebuilding phase,” said Stewart, who in his 14-year international career represented the United States 101 times. “We have a tremendous amount of young talent and passion in the U.S., and I’m ready to jump in, hire a new head coach and build a culture of success, with the ultimate goal of the U.S. Men’s National Team becoming a world champion."
Stewart also brings 12 years of technical leadership experience, including the last three seasons as Sporting Director for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. He earned a reputation of as a successful builder of clubs as he moved up the ranks in the Dutch Eredivise, beginning at VVV Venlo before heading to NAC Breda and then AZ Alkmaar. Overall, his teams finished in the top three in the league four times and qualified five times for European competition.
“With his breadth of experience as both a player and a technical director, Earnie is the ideal leader to guide the long-term success of our Men’s National Team program,” Cordeiro said. “ Combined with the structural changes at the Federation that we announced in April, this is a further step in our commitment to ensure that soccer operations are run by soccer experts.”
Stewart was selected for the position of General Manager after an extensive selection process conducted by a Search Committee that included former National Team players and current Board members Carlos Bocanegra and Angela Hucles, U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn, Chief Sport Development Officer Nico Romeijn, Chief Soccer Officer Ryan Mooney and Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer Jay Berhalter.
“Based on the profile of the position and the required skills, Earnie is a natural fit for the General Manager with the Men’s National Team,” Chief Sport Development Officer Nico Romeijn said.
The son of a U.S. serviceman and Dutch mother, Stewart spent 18 seasons in the Netherlands and the U.S. as a midfielder. For the majority of his professional career, he played for VVV Venlo, Willem II and NAC Breda, and played two seasons for D.C. United, helping the club win the 2004 MLS Cup. He was voted the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year in 2001 and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.