New York City FC promote David Lee from technical director to sporting director

New York City FC quickly filled their vacancy at sporting director following Claudio Reyna's departure to join Austin FC, announcing on Thursday that they have promoted technical director David Lee to Reyna's former position.

Lee has been with NYCFC since 2014, when he began as director of player recruitment. He was promoted to technical director in 2017 and has worked closely with Reyna to recruit some of the key players that helped the club to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2019.

“In David Lee, we have a natural and incredibly talented replacement to continue the fantastic work that he and Claudio have achieved together,” said NYCFC CEO Brad Sims in a team statement. “He’s been pivotal in signing key NYCFC players and creating the long-term vision of the first team roster. Winning trophies is something our club and players want and David’s knowledge and expertise will lead us into the next phase of NYCFC’s evolution.”

Prior to his time at NYCFC, Lee served for three years as a performance analyst for the New York Red Bulls. He has also worked at English outfit Exeter City.

“I’m excited to take on the role of sporting director at New York City Football Club,” said Lee. “I’ve worked alongside Claudio since the club’s inception, and am proud of what we’ve built together. Having been in Major League Soccer since 2011, I am eager to continue leading this exceptional squad and sporting department. We have the strongest roster of players we’ve ever had and I am extremely confident about the short and long-term future of the first team and academy.”