Austin FC announces Khaled El-Ahmad as new Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin FC announces Khaled El-Ahmad as its new Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director.
El-Ahmad replaces Rodolfo Borrell who parted ways with Austin FC on May 18.
Who is Khaled El-Ahmad?
What they're saying:
"We are thrilled to welcome Khaled and his family to Austin FC," said Austin FC Chairman, Majority Owner and Founder Anthony Precourt, in a news release. "Throughout our search, Khaled distinguished himself through his global experience, deep understanding of Major League Soccer, and the clarity of his vision for how a modern sporting organization should operate."
"Joining Austin FC is an exciting opportunity, and I’m grateful to Anthony, Andy and the ownership group for the trust they have placed in me and my family," said El-Ahmad. "Austin FC is a Club in one of the most dynamic cities in the country, with passionate supporters, significant ambition and the foundation to build something that can be successful for a long time.
The backstory:
El-Ahmad was born in Lebanon to Lebanese and Czech parents and raised in Sweden. He played in the youth system of his hometown club, IK Sirius FK, before moving to the United States to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Having lived and worked across multiple countries and football cultures, El-Ahmad speaks several languages, an experience that has helped shape his international approach to leadership, relationship-building and talent identification.
Early in his career, El-Ahmad worked across coaching, scouting, recruitment and data analysis roles in the United States and Scandinavia before becoming Head of Recruitment for Djurgården Elitfotboll AB in Sweden’s top division. During his tenure, Djurgården reached the Swedish Cup Final in 2013.
In 2016, El-Ahmad joined City Football Group as the organization’s scouting lead for CONCACAF and Scandinavia while also supporting roster construction and recruitment for New York City FC in the period leading up to NYCFC’s 2021 MLS Cup success.
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El-Ahmad joined Barnsley FC in England in 2021 as Chief Executive Officer and Sporting Director. He oversaw the club’s sporting, business and commercial operations, including technical strategy, roster construction and management, player trading, coaching appointments and organizational development.
El-Ahmad returned to Major League Soccer in December 2023 when he was appointed Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director of Minnesota United FC. In that role, he led Minnesota’s sporting operations and guided the Club to the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of his two full seasons, reaching the Western Conference Semifinals in both 2024 and 2025 after the Club had missed the postseason in 2023. In 2025, Minnesota finished the MLS regular season with a club-record 58 points.
El-Ahmad earned both a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a Master of Business Administration in international business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also holds a Sports Management Leadership Diploma from Örebro University in Sweden and completed The FA Level 5 for Technical Directors, The Football Association’s advanced development program for technical leaders in professional football, focused on sporting strategy, leadership and high-performance environments.
The Source: Information from Austin FC news release.