Sporting Director

Let's answer the four biggest questions following Matt Crocker's decision to step down as U.S. Soccer's sporting director.

Christian Pulisic watches closely at Milan as the club reflects on its management structure and quietly weighs the future of sporting director Igli Tare. Christian Pulisic watches closely at Milan as the club reflects on its management structure and quietly weighs the future of sporting director Igli Tare. The Rossoneri have spent the season balancing strong performances on the pitch with delicate power dynamics behind the scenes. What initially looked like a stable setup now presents new tensions at a decisive moment. Last year, Milan spent months searching for a sporting director, extending the deadline several times before settling on Tare. Eventually, his appointment arrived in May 2025 after weeks of growing uncertainty. That lengthy process now raises questions, especially since his concrete influence since joining remains unclear. Since the summer, observers have struggled to understand which signings came from which voice. The source of some transfers has been disputed internally, creating an environment where responsibility appears blurred. The lack of clarity has only deepened the debate over whether the current structure supports the Rossoneri’s long-term vision. Unsettled waters behind the scenes Reports from Relevo’s Matteo Moretto suggested that owner Gerry Cardinale might reassess the management setup, reopening discussions about leadership stability. According to Marco Varini, the relationship between Tare and the club never fully settled. Igli Tare of AC Milan “Most likely, by the end of the season, Igli Tare will leave. The relationship with AC Milan never took off, from certain market choices, to certain statements, starting from the summer and the famous Gimenez chaos. Hard to see it continuing”, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). This comment echoed months of whispers surrounding Milan’s sporting direction. Conflicting opinions, misaligned strategies, and unclear communication reportedly became recurring themes during the season. These concerns have placed Tare at the center of the internal review. Con ogni probabilità a fine stagione Igli #Tare lascerà. Rapporto mai decollato col #Milan, da alcune scelte di mercato, ad alcune dichiarazioni, a cominciare dall’estate e al famoso caos Gimenez. Difficile che si prosegua — Marco Varini (@mvcalcio) April 7, 2026 Why has Tare and Milan’s relationship never taken off? It is in this context that the mystery becomes clearer: Milan is now leaning toward parting ways with Tare at the end of the season, less than a year after his arrival. The decision stems from disagreements over transfer choices, several public statements, and the “Gimenez saga”, as described by Varini. Santiago Gimenez of AC Milan celebrates after scoring a goal. Santiago Gimenez was the subject of vast rumors during the last few days of the transfer window last summer, but the Mexican ultimately stayed at San Siro. Fans were undoubtedly taken aback by Igli Tare’s remarks just before the match against Lecce, where he essentially stated, “We’re trying to swap Gimenez for Dovbyk.”

Welcome back to Stick to Football with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Jill Scott – the original show from the award-winning The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet. With Ian away in St Lucia and Jill back in the studio, the panel kick off the show with the reaction to the first round of the Champions League knock-out stages, where holders Manchester City beat FC Copenhagen whilst Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich lose to Lazio. Gary, Jamie, Roy and Jill discuss whether any team can anyone stop Pep’s City, whether the Champions League has gone stale or not and how next season’s rule change could be beneficial to Europe’s elite competition. As Manchester United have approached Newcastle United’s director of football Dan Ashworth, the team talk about what changes he could bring to Old Trafford if he decides to move and how important the off-the-field staff have on a modern football club. Lastly we end on our Super 6 segment, has Gary pulled further ahead of Roy and who will they predict in the latest round of fixtures? We’re approaching one million subscribers, so please don’t forget to hit subscribe to never miss an episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Herc shares his views on Matt Crocker - the new Sporting Director of US Soccer... Is he a good hire for the future of soccer in America? Also, Eric Gomez from ESPN Deportes joins to talk about the desperation of "Chicharito" Hernandez' after his recent interview, and Felipe Cardenas from The Athletic comes on the pod to chat about Tata Martino’s ‘reality’. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse react to the massive U.S. Soccer news as they got you covered with all the soccer content that you need! After officially being hired as the U.S. Soccer Sporting Director, Lalas and Mosse debate whether Matt Crocker will fit in with the United States and if he'll be able to recruit dual nationals like Florian Balogun. Continuing with the American theme, Lalas and Mosse break down the CONCACAF Champions League matches and also look ahead to the top MLS games this weekend such as Minnesota United FC vs. FC Dallas. Moving over to Europe, the duo recap Arsenal's Premier League collapse and talk Taty Castellanos' impressive performance against Real Madrid. Is MLS getting taxed in the transfer market? They also look ahead to the top games this weekend such as Dortmund vs. Bochum. To wrap up the show, Lalas and Mosse analyze the history of the United States' soccer style and Lalas breaks down the Galaxy's chaos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Crocker is set to become the U.S. Soccer Federation's new sporting director and Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Heath Pearce have some thoughts on the matter. Plus, Leeds United's Premier League fate hangs in the balance and that's bad news for three USMNT stars, reaction to the USYNT being drawn into Group B of the U-20 World Cup, and the guys share their Best Teammates XIs. (00:47) USSF to hire Matt Croker: Is Southampton's sporting director the right fit? (13:50) Was Gooch a candidate for the role? (20:51) The next USMNT manager: Does Jesse Marsch become the favorite again? (25:47) Leeds' fire fight: Aaronson's dip, Marsch's culpability (40:25) Yunus Musah wants out of Valencia, Ricardo Pepi to Palace buzz (50:35) Best Teammates of All Time XIs (58:20) USYNT learns its U20 World Cup group opponents In Soccer We Trust is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Follow the In Soccer We Trust team on Twitter: @ISWTPod, @JimmyConrad, @heathpearce, @CharlieDavies9, @PartidoPooper Watch In Soccer We Trust on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4tni-ICN9z0eMIPcf2r2g Subscribe to the In Soccer We Trust podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/InSoccerWeTrust For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, the Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ Get 20% off In Soccer We Trust merch, using the code SOCCER20: https://https://store.cbssports.com/collections/in-soccer-we-trust Sign up to the new Golazo newsletter, your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/golazo-starting-xi/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you build a football team from scratch? That’s exactly the dilemma today’s guest has had to overcome! Lutz Pfannenstiel is the only footballer in history to play in all six FIFA continental confederations. And now, he’s sporting director of St Louis City, a brand new football club entering MLS next month. We asked him what it’s like to build a squad - and a fanbase - from nothing and how he’s drawn on one of the most unique playing careers in the sport to guide the club forward. Who would you like Kate to speak to next? Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: [email protected]. Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble. ***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.