FC Cincinnati have had a decidedly Dutch feel since entering Major League Soccer as an expansion side in 2019.
Gerard Nijkamp was the club’s general manager from May 2019 until the announcement Friday that he and FC Cincinnati had mutually parted ways. Meanwhile, Ron Jans and Jaap Stam have been the club's last two head coaches.
None had previous Major League Soccer experience, but that appears to be something prioritized now for Nijkamp’s replacement.
While he declined to go into detail about the process, other than to say it has begun, FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding told The Cincinnati Enquirer previous MLS experience is going to be important.
“We understand the value of experience,” Berding said Saturday from TQL Stadium. “We understand that there’s data available to evaluate people. Cost per win, transfer record, tenure and how tenure corresponds to winning, size of payroll, size of staff, experience in the staff – all things we didn’t have when we made the turn as a record-setting USL team into a quick transition to MLS team.”
It’s similar to the message shared in San Jose where Jesse Fioranelli, an Italian who did not have previous MLS experience, was let go on June 29 after holding the position since January 2017.
“We have a really specific profile: Someone with deep experience of Major League Soccer," Quakes chief operating officer Jared Shawlee told media July 27. "They don’t necessarily need to be employed by a club right now, but they do need to have a background of success and high-level of knowledge within the league.”
Berding is confident FC Cincinnati will be able to attract qualified candidates.
“I assure you, we will not have a hard time having interest from people that would love to lead FC Cincinnati,” he said, later adding, “we will find the right person and we will do it as quickly as possible.”
FC Cincinnati have struggled since joining MLS, finishing last in the Eastern Conference in each of their first two seasons. This year, FCC are 11th in the East, eight points below the playoff line with a 3-7-7 record.
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