Only two years after retiring as an MLS player, Chris Klein has become the chief executive of the two-time MLS Cup defending champion LA Galaxy.
The Galaxy announced on Monday that the club has promoted Klein from vice president to club president. The Sports Business Journalfirst broke the news.
Klein, who hails from St. Louis and enjoyed a 10-year MLS career with Kansas City, Real Salt Lake and the Galaxy, hung up his boots after the 2010 MLS season.
Shortly after retiring he was named senior director of the LA Galaxy Academy. Then in February 2012 he was elevated to the position of vice president, serving as the point man for all MLS and community-related matters.
As president, Klein becomes the highest-ranking executive at the club owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, alongside AEG Sports COO Kelly Cheeseman. Bruce Arena serves the dual role of head coach and GM.
While several MLS alumni have gone on to become general managers and technical directors, current ESPN soccer analyst Alexi Lalas is the only other former MLS player to assume the title of club president in San Jose (2003), New York (2005) and LA (2006).
