Chicago Fire Hire Gregg Broughton as Sporting Director

Chicago Fire head coach and director of football Gregg Berhalter is continuing to build his front office around him as he prepares for his first season in charge of the club. The Fire announced Tuesday that they’ve hired Gregg Broughton as the club’s new Sporting Director, a role that will have him report directly to Berhalter.

“Gregg brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time in Europe, and we’re excited to have him on board as our Sporting Director,” said Berhalter in the announcement. “He is a passionate leader with a proven track record of developing talent and building competitive teams. As a key member of our leadership team, Gregg will help establish a high-performance culture to drive sustained success across all areas of the sporting department.”

Broughton most recently was with Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship as their Director of Football from June 2022 until May 2024 and he helped his side acquire Sammie Szmodics, who the club recently sold to Premier League side Ipswich Town for £9 million. Before Blackburn, Broughton spent time with Bodø/Glimt in Norway along with EFL sides Norwich City and Luton Town after starting his career with Wycombe Wanderers.

“I’m delighted to join Chicago Fire FC as Sporting Director and share Gregg Berhalter’s vision of making the Fire one of the top clubs in North America,” said Broughton in the announcement. “I look forward to supporting Gregg across all areas of the sporting department to develop a culture of excellence and create a player trading model that supports both signing and retaining the talent needed to drive success.”

Broughton will have his work cut out for him as the Fire will have to undergo major roster changes if they want to turn things around after another season without a postseason berth.