CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy have hired Dennis te Kloese as their general manager.
The five-time MLS champion franchise announced the move Tuesday, several days after te Kloese apparently started work.
Te Kloese joins the Galaxy from the Mexican Football Federation, where he had worked since 2011. He finished his tenure as the director of national teams, overseeing every level of competition for the men's and women's teams.
The Dutch executive has worked in various capacities since 2003 for teams based in Mexico or with strong Mexican ties. He scouted for Chivas Guadalajara before becoming the sporting director at Chivas USA, overseeing player acquisition for the Los Angeles-based club from 2005-08.
The Galaxy are rebooting their front office and coaching staff after finishing seventh in the Western Conference and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Head coach Sigi Schmid oversaw player acquisitions last year until he parted ways with the club in September, and the Galaxy fired vice president of soccer operations Pete Vagenas in November.
The club has yet to announce a new head coach after finishing last season under interim coach Dominic Kinnear, but former Portland Timbers coach Caleb Porter sat courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game on Monday night with te Kloese, Galaxy President Chris Klein and Dan Beckerman, the president and CEO of the sports conglomerate that owns the Galaxy.
Porter and Klein were roommates at Indiana University, where they both played. The Timbers won the MLS Cup in 2015 and twice finished atop the Western Conference regular-season standings under Porter, who has been out of coaching since leaving Portland in November 2017.
The Galaxy also have declined to confirm numerous reports of a new contract for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish superstar is widely expected to stay with the Galaxy with an improved deal that will raise his salary by making him one of the club's three designated players.
The 37-year-old Ibrahimovic had a phenomenal debut MLS season with 22 goals and 10 assists after leaving Manchester United, but he made just $1.5 million. AC Milan reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Ibrahimovic this winter.
