LAFC has hired Neil McGuinness as the first Technical Director in team history.
“I am excited to announce and welcome Neil, who has a fantastic track record of success internationally as well as in MLS,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “I have known Neil for a number of years and greatly respect his work both prior to and since joining the league. His expertise in scouting and player identification will add incredible value to our great staff at LAFC as we continue working toward our goal of winning trophies.”
McGuinness most recently worked for the Columbus Crew, where he spent the last five years as the Director of Scouting and Player Recruitment. A key member of the Crew Technical Staff, McGuinness helped build the Crew rosters that won MLS Cup in 2020 and 2023, Campeones Cup in 2021, and advanced to the final of the upcoming 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Before joining the Crew, McGuinness served as the Senior Player Recruiter for the Qatar Football Association from 2015 to 2018, where he was responsible for the identification and recruitment of players to represent the Qatar National Team. During that time, he also worked as a scout for Qatar’s Aspire Academy and as a consultant to teams in the top divisions in England, France, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Spain.
“I am looking forward to getting started with LAFC,” McGuinness said. “I believe my experience building MLS rosters and identifying international talent will be an asset to the Club as we look to develop players and attempt to win championships.”
A native of Scotland, McGuinness has experience in the Scottish Premiership as the First Team Senior Scout for Celtic Football Club. With Celtic, McGuiness was responsible for first team player scouting and international recruiting in addition to opposition analysis for European competitions.
