4 Takeaways from Rodolfo Borrell's Introduction as the New Austin FC Sporting Director – CAPITAL CITY SOCCER
It was a special day on Monday at Q2 Stadium when CEO and majority owner Anthony Precourt introduced new Austin FC Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell.
We were Livin’ the Verde Dream™️ on this momentous occasion, parking in the player’s lot, casually saying ‘hi’ in the hallway to Jon Gallagher while making our way to the Field Club for a packed press conference to unveil the former Manchester City assistant coach in Austin.
Co-founder Eddie Margain and President Andy Loughnane sat in the front row at the media event. Former Interim Sporting Director Sean Rubio was also there. Noticeably absent was Head Coach Josh Wolff.
Afterward, it was pics on the pitch. Anthony Precourt and Rodo (as he prefers to be called) posed at the midfield line with a commemorative jersey and scarf, followed by pictures with all the Austin FC staffers.
Finally, Rodo was whisked away by the ATX media team for more photos on the field at McKalla Place.
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Here are our four takeaways after attending Rodolfo Borrell’s introductory press conference.
From the get-go, Rodo made it crystal clear that Josh Wolff is the boss on the pitch for the foreseeable future. “Josh is the leader of the group, and this is 100% this way. And I want to address that from the very beginning because maybe someone else has some different questions in addition to these ones.”
To further emphasize his point, Borrell later said, “The fact that Josh is actually the head coach was one of the key factors of me deciding on taking this opportunity.”
When Anthony Precourt began describing the duties of Borrell, the first words out of his mouth were, “Rodo will be focusing on scouting and recruitment…” Something Verde fans can truly appreciate this season after witnessing a roller coaster of player performances from new and seasoned veterans of the club.
While Borrell brings nearly 30 years of experience at the highest level of global soccer, he has a lot to learn about the machinations and quirks of rostering-building in MLS. But there’s no turning back now — he made it clear that he has no intention of returning to the coaching ranks. He’ll have some help though. Precourt said, “Sean [Rubio] is going to continue on as the SVP of Player Personnel.”
To his credit, Rodo responded to raised eyebrows of this being his first MLS job with, “The fact that I’ve been following the league for such a long time, it’s not going to be a shocker for me. So obviously, it’s completely different. The fact that there are such huge distances to cover when you play on the road. And the difference in schedules … and difference of temperatures. It makes it much more difficult and this affects the proper game itself. But at the end of the day, it’s the same game. There are two goals and one football, it’s the same dimension, and it’s 11 against 11. I’m very much looking forward to it and I don’t see any issues.”
Team owner Anthony Precourt acknowledged that while his investment in the player side is hindered by MLS salary limitations, there is no cap on wages for hiring the best soccer minds in the front office. “We don’t have any salary caps or restrictions on the investment we can make in our leaders. I think this is a big statement on behalf of Austin FC and our ownership group,” declared Anthony Precourt.
That’s good news for Austin FC fans concerned about the foundation of the club.
Full Name: Rodolfo Borrell MarcoBirthplace: Barcelona, SpainAge: 52
Career:
| Year | Position |
| 1995–2003 | FC Barcelona U11-U12-U14 Coach |
| 2003–2006 | FC Barcelona U16 Coach |
| 2006–2008 | FC Barcelona U18 Coach |
| 2008 | Iraklis Coach |
| 2009 | FC Barcelona U18 Coach |
| 2009-2011 | Liverpool FC U18 Coach |
| 2011-2012 | Liverpool FC U23 Coach |
| 2012-2014 | Liverpool FC Academy Director |
| 2014-2016 | Manchester City Academy Director |
| 2016-2023 | Manchester City First Team Asst. Coach |
| 2023-Present | Austin FC Sporting Director |
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