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Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent
Atlanta United FC has hired Chris Henderson to be its next sporting director, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
GiveMeSport was the first to report the news.
Henderson held a similar post with Inter Miami CF, and replaces Carlos Bocanegra, who was fired back in September. Inter Miami will receive a second round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft as compensation.
The move isn’t surprising on multiple levels. Henderson’s position with the Herons appeared to be redundant ever since the club hired Raul Sanllehi back in June to be president of soccer operations. This, despite Henderson doing plenty to help Miami navigate the penalties that were levied against the club in the wake of the multiple violations of the league’s roster rules back in 2021.
The move will also see Henderson be reunited with Atlanta team president Garth Lagerwey. The two formed a fruitful partnership when they both worked for the Seattle Sounders FC from 2008-21, a period that included two MLS Cups, a Supporters’ Shield, and four U.S. Open Cup titles.
The hiring comes at an opportune moment for the Five Stripes. The team is still without a permanent manager after firing Gonzalo Pineda last June, though interim manager Rob Valentino performed well in leading Atlanta to an upset of Inter Miami in the MLS Cup playoffs before falling to Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Atlanta also has two open Designated Player spots.
As a player, Henderson enjoyed a 12-year professional career that took him to Germany and Norway before joining the Colorado Rapids in 1996, the inaugural season of MLS. Henderson also went on to play for the Kansas City Wizards, the Miami Fusion, the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls. He was part of the Wizards side that in 2000 claimed MLS Cup.
At international level, Henderson made 79 appearances, scoring three goals, and was part of the squad that competed at the 1990 World Cup.
