Sebastian Pelzer Moves to FC Lugano
Sebastian Pelzer has left the Chicago Fire after five seasons, the club announced this morning. The 44-year-old is moving to sister club FC Lugano to become its Chief Sports Officer.
“I’m incredibly grateful for my time with the Chicago Fire,” Pelzer said. “I wish the Fire all the best for the future and look forward to seeing the partnership between the two clubs continue to grow. I’m excited to begin this new chapter with FC Lugano and help build on the success the club has achieved.”
The departure of Pelzer is the next in a line of several staff changes this offseason since the arrival of Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter on October 7th. In addition to Georg Heitz's planned departure for Lugano, Fire II Head Coach Ludovic Taillandier and first team assistant coaches Carlos García and Paulo Nagamura left the club. New arrivals include Sporting Director Gregg Broughton and Head of Recruitment Mikey Stephens.
Originally from Trier, Germany, Pelzer earned a positive reputation for his contributions as the Fire's technical director. He was heavily involved in developing the club's global scouting network, including the deal to bring in Jhon Durán, before eventually selling him to Aston Villa for $22 million. Young players also succeeded with the Fire in that span, with the academy winning multiple national titles and a handful of homegrown players earning first team promotions.
Pelzer's move to Lugano also seems natural as he has been heavily involved in the partnership between the Fire and Lugano since Joe Mansueto purchased the Swiss club in 2021. Both clubs have shared scouting knowledge and analytical data, and Pelzer has played a role in helping build the current Bianoneri team.
“Moving forward, we are excited that Sebastian will continue working within our network of clubs,” Mansueto said. “His efforts in developing FC Lugano’s roster have been a key part of their success, and I look forward to seeing the team continue to grow and progress under his leadership.”
Mansueto and the Fire will generally be happy that a talented executive like Pelzer is staying within the broader organization; he was well-respected during his playing days at Eintracht Trier, FC Saarbrücken, and Hansa Rostock and has a bright future off the field. Lugano has enjoyed the most successful spell of its recent history since Mansueto's arrival, reaching back-to-back Schweizer Cup finals in 2022 and 2023. Players moving between the clubs have also found success, with Maren Haile-Selassie (in Chicago) and Ignacio Aliseda (in Lugano) demonstrating this.
With Pelzer leaving Chicago, his responsibilities will be taken over by Broughton and Stephens, both of whose job descriptions involve the club's scouting network. Regardless, as a key figure in Lugano, Pelzer will still be in frequent communication with the new higher-ups in Chicago.
Read More:
https://meninred97.com/georg-heitz-resigns-as-chicago-fire-sporting-director/
https://meninred97.com/fire-announce-staff-changes-mikey-stephens-hired/
https://meninred97.com/fire-bring-on-gregg-broughton-as-sporting-director/
