| | SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The New York/New Jersey
MetroStars turned to Nick Sakiewicz, the 1999 Major League
Soccer Executive of the Year, on Wednesday in an effort to change the fortunes of the struggling club.
Sakiewicz was named vice president and general manager, ending
the unsuccessful four-year reign of Charlie Stillitano.
Stillitano will be moved to MetroMedia, a stadium development
company also owned by MetroStars investor-operator Stuart
Subotnick.
Sakiewicz had been with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in the same role
since 1996.
"Nick is a tremendously talented individual who has the
hard-nosed mentality needed to make the MetroStars the model
organization in Major League Soccer," Subotnick said. "He has a
proven track record and was instrumental in making the Tampa Bay
Mutiny one of the leagues best-run operations on and off the
field. His combination of marketing knowledge and soccer
experience make him the best possible person in the country for
this position."
Sakiewicz, who turns 39 on Friday, is a native of nearby
Passaic, N.J. Before taking the job with Tampa Bay, Sakiewicz was
vice president of corporate sales for the MLS during the
league's development period and the league's inaugural 1996
season.
"I'm excited and honored to take over the MetroStars. As a
native of this area I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility
to make the MetroStars the best organization in the MLS,"
Sakiewicz said. "There is a lot of work to be done and we will
get started immediately."
Sakiewicz, who was a goalkeeper at the University of New Haven,
will oversee all MetroStars soccer operations and marketing
efforts. He officially begins his duties Jan. 24.
Professionaly, Sakiewicz played with F.C. Nantes in the French
First Division in 1982. The next year he played for the New
York Arrows of the Major Indoor Soccer League and a year later
he joined F.C. Belenenses of the Portuguese First Division.
On Thursday, Juan Carlos Osorio and Ken Pollard were
hired Thursday as assistants to MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano.
Osorio, 38, has served as assistant and conditioning coach for
the Staten Island Vipers.
Pollard, 34, has been an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut
State, the winner of the past two NCAA Division II titles, since
1997.
Osorio and Pollard, a native of Wales, both played for Southern
Connecticut.
| |
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