After historic start, CITY SC Seeks fresh leadership beyond Lutz

                          by Henry Chappell

For four years, Lutz Pfannenstiel helped shape St. Louis CITY SC from an idea into a reality — but now, the club's first-ever sporting director and the club have parted ways.

In the interim, President and General Manager Diego Gigliani and Technical Director John Hackworth will share Pfannenstiel's responsibilities as the club searches for a permanent replacement.

Pfannenstiel, a former German goalkeeper and global sporting executive, was hired in 2020 and tasked with building CITY SC's sporting department from the ground up.

Over his tenure, he oversaw the creation of the academy, the MLS NEXT Pro side, the training facility, and the club's inaugural MLS roster.

That vision helped guide CITY SC to a historic debut in 2023, when the expansion side became the first in league history to win its conference regular-season title.

However, CITY is coming off a season in which it missed the playoffs and currently sits 14th in the Western Conference with seven matches remaining.

"From the very beginning, Lutz has shown real passion and commitment for this project, and the foundation he established was integral to the club's historic first season," Gigliani said in the club statement. "These decisions are never easy, and with the legacy Lutz built during his time here, he will always be part of the extended CITY family."

Still, as CITY SC enters its next chapter following two seasons of inconsistent play, the leadership said they believed a change was needed.

Gigliani noted the club has "struggled to create sporting stability and hasn't been able to meet the expectations of our owners or our fans, despite increasing our investment in the squad consistently."

Pfannenstiel's exit marks the start of a new era for the club, with Gigliani and Hackworth steering sporting operations through the remainder of the 2025 season while a global search for his successor gets underway.

CITY (5W-16L-6D, 21 points) will return home on Saturday, Aug. 30, when they host the Houston Dynamo.