Austin FC announced late last month that Claudio Reyna has stepped down as its sporting director but will remain with the young Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in a lesser role, according to a report from Austin NBC affiliate KXAN.
The team said Reyna has assumed a technical advisory role in which he advises head coach Josh Wolff and other personnel on matters of the game, KXAN reported.
A club-issued press release said that Wolff, whom Verde hired before its inaugural season in 2021, now has additional duties as its chief soccer officer (CSO) and head of the sporting department, with Sean Rubio taking on Reyna’s old position on an interim basis.
Majority owner and chief executive officer (CEO) Anthony Precourt said in the release that the team is “grateful” for Reyna’s contributions.
“Claudio has been committed to the cause of building a Club that inspires Austin, and he will remain in a position to contribute to our organization,” Precourt said.
Reyna, in turn, thanked Austin FC for allowing him to continue with working with it even in a lesser capacity.
“I am grateful that Anthony and the organization have given me the opportunity to scale back my role and responsibilities while continuing to contribute to the success of a club that I love,” he said, according to the release. “I take great pride in what we have accomplished but am looking forward to a less all-consuming work pace that still permits me to assist ongoing club development.”
Reyna’s resignation occurred just as he and his wife, Danielle, face accusations of blackmail against U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) head coach Gregg Berhalter.
Citing Fox Sports, the New York Post reported that Danielle Reyna told U.S. soccer executives in December about a troubling incident involving Berhalter when he was in his late teens.
Claudio Reyna allegedly threatened to go public with the revelations, the publication reported.
The Reynas have a son who plays for USMNT.