City SC hires executive from Manchester City to be president and general manager

Diego Gigliani, an executive with the parent company of English club powerhouse Manchester City, is coming to St. Louis to become president and general manager of St. Louis City SC. He will focus on the day-to-day business activities of the club while chief executive officer Carolyn Kindle, who spearheaded the effort to bring a Major League Soccer club here, will shift her focus to long-term projects.

Nothing will change on the sporting side. Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel will continue to oversee all aspects of that side of City SC’s operation.

Gigliani, originally from Argentina, went to college in America, getting an undergraduate degree in business management at Boston University and an MBA at Wharton. For 10 years he has been with City Football Group, which in addition to Manchester City runs New York City FC of Major League Soccer as well as clubs in Spain, Italy, France and Brazil. His most recent assignment has been to oversee the teams in eight countries, in Europe and Latin America. He will be joining City SC this summer after wrapping up the European seasons and getting his work visas in place. He’s currently based in England.

Bringing in someone with business experience with the game internationally is part of City SC’s goal to develop the team as a global soccer brand.

“Diego brings an incredible amount of international soccer expertise that will help us take the next step in our ambitious journey to become a global soccer brand,” Kindle said in announcing the hire. “After a long and extensive search, we look forward to welcoming him to one of the best sports cities in America as we continue to grow our reach and leverage soccer’s popularity — as well as the amazing start to our inaugural season — to increase interest in everything St. Louis has to offer.”

The club already has remade a section of the west edge of downtown, with a 30-acre campus that includes a 22,500-seat stadium, the team’s training facility and a retail store. On the field, the team has exceeded most expectations with a 6-2-1 start that puts it atop the Western Conference. Off the field, the club set a league record for season-ticket deposits and merchandise sales.

“It was evident the club is deeply committed to leveraging the power of sport to positively impact the entire region” Gigliani said in a statement released by the club. “I’ve been strongly attracted to this team’s commitment to the community, and really impressed by the results achieved in such a short period of time — the brand launch, stadium build, season ticket base, merchandise sales, and much more. I’m looking forward to building on the club’s record-breaking launch and impressive start to the season to help grow City SC’s reputation. And when you look at soccer’s continued growth in the U.S., MLS’ new partnership with Apple and the World Cup coming to North America in 2026, this is undoubtedly a unique and special time to come back to the United States.”

Before his current post with CFG, he ran Man City and CFG’s media and innovations group worldwide. Before that, he worked 13 years as a management consultant.

Meanwhile, the club said Kindle will dedicate more time “to long-term strategic priorities, including expanding the club’s international reach, regional community programming and league-wide growth issues.”

Gigliani’s responsibilities include all day-to-day operations in sporting, revenue, marketing, operations and administration. He will report to Kindle.