When rumors start flying around the football world that someone is joining a new club, the club insists that nothing is finalized, no contracts have been signed and there is no need to jump to conclusions. is as follows.
AS Monaco's Carlos Abina is widely reported to be heading to MLS expansion franchise San Diego FC as sporting director after the end of the French league season, with an official announcement to be made in the coming weeks.
Except that's not happening now.
The club confirmed on Sunday a report by Fabrizio Romano, the respected Italian journalist who first brought Avina and SDFC together, that the Mexican-born executive would no longer be coming.
SDFC CEO Tom Penn said: “We have been unable to reach final terms and there is no further agreement.”
The development is not expected to affect the signing of Mexican winger Irving “Chucky” Lozano from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, which has been widely reported in recent weeks. Officials say the deal is “in its final stages.”
However, the timing of hiring a head coach can be affected, and the hiring of a head coach is usually left to the athletic director (general manager in soccer parlance).
Avina spent five years at Mexico City's Club América in various scouting and player development roles before moving to Belgian club Cercle Brugge as sporting director before moving to AS Monaco last summer in the same role. .
“We are still very active and we hope to be able to sign some important (players) soon,” Penn said. “We continue to look for the right combination of athletic director and head coach that aligns with the Right to Dream style: a commitment to young players and a commitment to winning now. Thank you for your interest.”
On Thursday, SDFC and Tijuana Xolos announced a partnership that includes a five-year commitment to play an annual friendly at Mission Valley's Snapdragon Stadium, included in SDFC's season ticket package. Both clubs also hope to take advantage of cross-marketing and cross-border opportunities, particularly with Xolos typically playing in Liga MX on Friday nights and SDFC expected to play in MLS on Saturday nights.
“People said, 'What's going to happen to Xoloth?' Is it difficult?” Penn said. “When I was able to meet the leadership of the club, we just connected on the spirit of the game. Let's compete in a friendly way, but let's work together to do some good in the community.”
“When we started Club Tijuana, we always wanted to be seen as a team without borders,” said Xolos owner Jorge Alberto Hank, who attended San Diego University High School (now Cathedral Catholic). “For us, we are a regional team and I think that's exactly what you want for San Diego FC and I think we can coexist in different ways.”
“It's always good to have a healthy rivalry on the pitch. I think our fans can be fans of both teams and I think the whole region will win with you coming here. Masu.”