Sporting KC stealing NYCFC sporting director David Lee

New York City FC is on the hunt for a new sporting director after David Lee announced he took the role as president of soccer operations and general manager with Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday. 

The departure ends a long run with the organization that started in 2014 as the team’s director of player recruitment and culminated in Lee’s appointment as sporting director in November 2019. 

The club has already begun its search to fill the role and said Lee’s final day with NYCFC will be Oct. 6. 

Co-vice chairman Marty Edelman said as part of a statement that the next sporting director will “meet the highest standards” of City Football Group — the club’s parent organization — and the MLS club. 

“After joining New York City FC in 2014 as one of the first employees and working in various roles for more than a decade, I have decided to accept a significant new challenge with Sporting Kansas City,” Lee said in a statement. “This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I believe ultimately, this is the right time for me and my family.” 

Lee is joining Sporting Kansas City on a seven-year deal, keeping him in the Midwest through 2032, and will oversee “all areas of Sporting’s soccer enterprise, including first-team roster management, player recruitment, scouting, analytics, technical staff oversight and the continued development of Sporting KC II and the Sporting KC Academy,” Sporting KC said in a statement. 

Lee’s departure comes at a surprising time, with NYCFC preparing for the playoffs, with just two matches left on their schedule and a postseason spot already secured.

New York City FC has made the playoffs five times over the past six seasons with Lee at the helm, and he was in charge in 2021 when the club captured its first MLS Cup.

“Playing a part in growing this amazing Club from the ground up has been a truly unique opportunity and a tremendous honor,” Lee said. “Together we created one of the most consistently high performing teams in MLS, and winning our first MLS Cup in 2021 will always be one of the proudest moments of my career and one of the highlights of my life.”

Lee was responsible for hiring three coaches during his tenure, including Ronny Deila, who coached the club to an MLS title in 2021, and Pascal Jansen, who is in his first season as head coach. 

As part of his statement on Tuesday, Lee felt that the club was in a good position going forward. 

“Clinching a spot in the playoffs with several games to spare is a testament to the talent of our players and the incredible hard work from Pascal Jansen and his team,” Lee said. “From day one, we’ve built a family environment and winning culture, and I’ve been lucky to work with some of the best professionals in the industry at New York City FC and City Football Group. This is a special Club and has an unbelievably exciting future ahead, including the opening of Etihad Park in 2027.”