ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 25, 2016 – Orlando City SC today announced that Niki Budalic will join the Club as Assistant General Manager effective January 25. In this role, Budalic will report directly to Founder and President Phil Rawlins.
“I have known Niki for several years and am delighted that we have been able to recruit someone with his broad and diverse background in the game,” said Rawlins. “He has a good eye for a player, is a seasoned recruiter of talent and an experienced administrator. I am looking forward to him making an immediate positive impact on our soccer operations.”
“I’m excited to be joining Orlando City at such an important time in the Club’s history,” added Budalic. “I look forward to working with Phil, Adrian and the entire technical staff as we identify, recruit and develop the best talent to further our Club’s success.”
A former professional player for various clubs in North America and Europe, such as FK Haugesund in Norway, Montreal Impact and Toronto Lynx in Canada, Budalic’s vast soccer background extends off the pitch, working as a soccer professional in scouting, recruitment, player representation, consulting and coaching for both men’s and women’s soccer.
Budalic, who obtains a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, has also gained tremendous experience working with prominent high-profile clubs, including Newcastle United, Everton Football Club, West Ham United, River Plate, Independiente and Pachuca.
The 37-year-old Ontario, Canada, native most recently served as the Director of Soccer Operations for Premier Development League (PDL) side Kitchener-Waterloo United FC, who won the 2015 National Championship.
