The Deep Dish: Fire make more moves

File Photo: Amanda Cortese

CHICAGO, IL–Gregg Berhalter’s technical staff now includes another Gregg. On Tuesday, Chicago Fire FC appointed Gregg Broughton as sporting director who will be in charge of talent development and assist in the recruitment, negotiation, and retention of players and staff. In addition, he will support Berhalter in implementing the technical strategy and maintaining alignment of the club’s game model, principles of play, and positional profiles.

“Gregg brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time in Europe, and we’re excited to have him on board as our Sporting Director,” said Berhalter. “He is a passionate leader with a proven track record of developing talent and building competitive teams. As a key member of our leadership team, Gregg will help establish a high-performance culture to drive sustained success across all areas of the sporting department.”

Broughton spent the last three seasons as director of football of Blackburn Rovers of the EFL Championship. Blackburn achieved its highest finish in the league in ten years and its deepest run in the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the last 15 years.

Broughton originally began his career with Wycombe Wanderers in 1999. Since then, he has held technical staff positions with AFC Rushden & Diamonds, Luton Town, Norwich City, and FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway.

“I’m delighted to join Chicago Fire FC as Sporting Director and share Gregg Berhalter’s vision of making the Fire one of the top clubs in North America,” said Broughton. “I look forward to supporting Gregg across all areas of the sporting department to develop a culture of excellence and create a player trading model that supports both signing and retaining the talent needed to drive success.”

Additionally, The Fire’s MLS NEXT Pro side, Chicago Fire II, parted ways with head coach Ludovic Taillandier after three seasons. Taillandier guided CFII to a pair of playoff appearances in the last two seasons, including a conference semifinal appearance this season. He leaves with a 28-27-25-12 regular season record over the course of three seasons. Prior to that, Taillandier was head coach of the U-19 Fire Acaademy side.

“As we begin to focus on next season and our long-term objectives, we felt it was the right time to make a change in leadership,” said Chicago Fire FC II General Manager Alex Boler. “I’d like to thank Ludo for all his hard work and contributions to the Club, not only as the first head coach of Fire II, but throughout his entire five-year tenure with the organization. He is a true professional and I wish him nothing but the best for the future.”

With Gregg Berhalter having oversight of CFII, he will likely have a say in Taillandier’s replacement.