Orlando City SC announced on Wednesday that they have promoted Niki Budalic to General Manager, Soccer Operations for the club and their USL and NWSL sides.
Budalic joined Orlando in January 2016 as assistant GM working under club president and founder Phil Rawlins.
“I am thankful for this opportunity to work even closer with our technical teams on player development and general team management,” Budalic said in a statement released by the club. “I’ve learned a lot from Phil this past year, and along with our coaches, I will continue working hard this offseason to prepare for a new campaign, a new stadium and a fresh start to 2017 for our three teams.”
“I want to congratulate Niki on this well-deserved promotion,” Rawlins added. “I’ve known Niki for many years, and I am confident in his work ethic, player scouting intelligence and negotiating experience, as he leads soccer operations during an important year for us in our new home stadium.”
Budalic came to Orlando after serving as director of soccer operations for USL PDL side Kitchener-Waterloo United FC, who won the 2015 national championship. Prior to his work with Kitchener-Waterloo, The 38-year-old Canadian enjoyed a lengthy career as a player in Europe and North America, including a stint with the Montreal Impact.
