From the Arctic Circle to Chicago: A sporting director's unconventional route to MLS
PR | Gregg Broughton’s career as a sporting director has taken many twists and turns, including five years in northern Norway.
The Recap
Chicago Fire sporting director Gregg Broughton reflects on how experiences across England, Norway and now MLS shaped his belief that structural alignment should guide decision-making.
Data Insight
In the 2025 MLS season, Chicago Fire allocated more minutes to under-22 and home-grown players than any other club.
Why It Matters
Broughton argues that structural alignment, rather than culture alone, provides the foundation for consistent decision-making across a football club.
The Perspective
As more clubs adopt multi-year football strategies, sporting directors are placing greater emphasis on organisational alignment rather than reacting to short-term results.
12 August 2026 - 3:19 PM
While most of the world had its sights locked on the World Cup, Chicago Fire claimed a share of attention as the MLS club announced the signing of one of the most decorated strikers in football history, Robert Lewandowski.
Behind the remarkable signing was sporting director Gregg Broughton.
When he arrived in Chicago in November 2024, he joined a club that had just finished bottom of the Eastern Conference.
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