ATLANTA (AP) — Brad Guzan, who retired last year as Atlanta United’s all-time leader in appearances, wins, saves and shutouts, was named the team’s club ambassador and sporting advisor on Thursday.
Guzan will report directly to chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson. Following his 21-year career as goalkeeper, including the highlights of winning the 2018 MLS Cup and the 2019 U.S. Open Cup with Atlanta, Guzan announced his retirement after last season.
In his new role on Henderson’s staff, Guzan will support all areas of soccer operations while also working in the team’s community efforts.
FILE – Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan applauds the crowd after an MLS soccer match against CF Montréal, Feb. 22, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik, File)
Guzan described the opportunity as “a learning role.”
“I’m going to be fortunate enough to be able to kind of go through all the different departments of the other side of the building and see how it all works behind the scenes,” Guzan said Thursday. “And so for me, that part’s really intriguing and really interesting that as a player, you normally don’t get to see. And so I’m excited of taking on all that information and again, seeing if this is something that I want to do long-term, if you’re not going to be able to be on the field and be a part of the game in that aspect, what’s the next best way? For me this is really something that excites me.”
Guzan said he helped prepare for a front office career the last two years by earning a master’s degree from the Global Institute of Sport.
“Now all of a sudden you’re able to have this opportunity with a hands-on experience to see it first-hand,” he said. “To see if, hey, is this something that I want to do long-term?”
Guzan said Atlanta United has left him the flexibility to explore work as a TV analyst.
“I’m really lucky,” Guzan said. “So that’s not over and done with in terms of the media side. So I’m still going to be able to do some TV work throughout the year. And so I’ll still be doing stuff on that side of things. And, you know, on top of that external media, I’ll be doing a lot of media stuff within the club in terms on video, on podcasts.”
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Guzan said he would “never say never” to the possibility of coaching in the future.
“For the short term and the time being, I think I’m going to look more into the front office side of things,” he said.
Guzan’s playing career included nine seasons in the Premier League with Aston Villa, Hull and Middlesborough. He played 64 games with the U.S. national team, winning three Gold Cups and making the American roster for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He was the United States’ starting keeper at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer