JOHN THORRINGTON
CO-PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER
Originally named LAFC’s first EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager on December 8, 2015, Thorrington led LAFC to immediate on-field success in its first season, as LAFC broke the MLS record for points earned by an expansion team (57), finished third in the Western Conference, and reached the semifinals of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. LAFC also became the first team in its inaugural season to win seven away matches (since the league instituted ties in 2000). In his first year at the Club, Thorrington built a winner from scratch, acquiring forwards Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi, midfielders Eduard Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Latif Blessing, and traded for the Club’s first-ever captain, Laurent Ciman.
In his second season, Thorrington remained focused on retaining talent, while continuing to build on Year One, bringing in Uruguayan forward Brian Rodriguez, and outbidding some of the top clubs in the world for Ecuadorian defender Diego Palacios. With even more on-field success in year two, Thorrington constructed a roster that continued to break records, capturing the 2019 MLS Supporters’ Shield, while setting a new single-season points record (72) and tying the single-season team goals record (85). LAFC averaged 2.12 points per game with a league record of 21-4-9 – three more wins and two fewer losses than the next closest teams – and a whopping +48 goal differential.
On August 18, 2020, Thorrington was named LAFC Co-President & General Manager. In his third year overseeing the Club’s on-field success, Thorrington and company guided LAFC to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year. Since 2018, the Black & Gold rank among the top three clubs in MLS in regular-season wins, points, and goals scored. In 2020, LAFC became the first team in MLS history to defeat three Liga MX teams en route to a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League final.
The 2022 season was the culmination of the efforts of Thorrington and his staff, as LAFC earned its second Supporters' Shield en route to its first MLS Cup trophy, which was earned during a thrilling final played at BMO Stadium. Under Thorrington's guidance, on-field success has become the expectation at LAFC, which appeared in three finals in 2023 (CONCACAF Champions League, MLS Cup, and Campeones Cup) while playing more games in a single year than any club in MLS history (53).Â
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and raised in Palos Verdes Estates, California, Thorrington enjoyed a 17-year playing career that included spells in England, Germany, and Major League Soccer. Thorrington spent time with European clubs Manchester United FC, Bayer Leverkusen, and Huddersfield Town before embarking on a career in MLS with the Chicago Fire, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and D.C. United. Thorrington’s international career included four caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team.