ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2018) - Orlando City SC announces it has hired Luiz Muzzi as Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations. Muzzi (moo-zee) will be in Orlando on Monday, Dec. 24.
Muzzi, 49, will oversee soccer operations for Orlando City of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), including the management of all player-related matters, scouting efforts and overall team administration. He will also be significantly involved in the strategic direction for Orlando City’s Development Academy and Orlando City B.
“Luiz is a great addition for us and we welcome him to the Club,” Orlando City SC CEO Alex Leitão said. “He brings a wealth of American Soccer knowledge with strong connections in South America to take us to the next levels. With this move, Luiz will have full autonomy as the head of soccer operations to make decisions not only related to player scouting and management, but also to build culture and mentality fitting for his vision of our Club.”
Muzzi, who moved to the U.S. from Brazil in 1990, comes to Orlando after serving six years with FC Dallas in multiple soccer operations roles, overseeing all aspects of player personnel, scouting and team administration. He originally joined FC Dallas as the club’s director of soccer and assistant technical director in 2012.
During his tenure in Frisco, Muzzi built a roster that reached the MLS playoffs four out of the past five seasons, including two Western Conference Semifinal appearances and a Western Conference Final appearance in 2015. During that span, FC Dallas finished the MLS regular season in first place in 2015 and 2016, and also won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and claimed the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time in club history in 2016.
Muzzi was integral in building one of the most dominant developmental academies in North America, while setting numerous MLS Homegrown records, with FC Dallas.
“I want to thank FC Dallas for a great tenure with a good group of people who worked by my side for six seasons,” Muzzi added. “Looking forward, I am very excited for the opportunity Orlando City SC has given me to come to one of the most dynamic and exciting clubs in the league with a fantastic stadium and fan base. The opportunity for the growth of soccer in Orlando is only beginning, and I look forward to leading this group in 2019 and beyond.”
Prior to joining FC Dallas, Muzzi was the director of soccer for Traffic Sports in Miami from 2003 through 2012, where he served as the general manager for the then-Miami FC of the North American Soccer League between 2005 and 2010.
Earlier in his career, Muzzi worked for IMG and previously served as players agent, working mainly within the Latin and North American markets.
The Rio de Janeiro native—who speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French—holds master’s degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
