CHARLOTTE — Charlotte MLS has appointed Thomas Schaling as Director of Scouting, the club announced Thursday.
In his previous role as International Senior Scout with PSV Eindhoven, Schaling and his team were able to identify and sign difference-making players, including Mexican National Team stars Hirving Lozano and Andrés Guardado, and two-time Premier League winner Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Schaling’s keen eye for talent, global network of contacts and use of cutting-edge data analysis helped PSV win three Dutch Eredivisie league titles during his tenure. Before joining PSV, Schaling scouted for AZ Alkmaar, who proceeded to win their first league title in 28 years.
“We are delighted to welcome Thomas to our team. He is a special talent with a great process and work ethic and who embraces new trends and developments in modern soccer,” said Tom Glick, president of Tepper Sports and Entertainment.
“His track record at PSV Eindhoven speaks for itself and has enabled them to find great talent from around the world and compete with the big guns in Europe. He is the right leader for our scouting team as we build our new club from the ground up.”
Schaling specializes in identifying talent in the European and Latin American player markets, but also offers a wealth of experience with finding young American talent. United States National Team players Christian Pulisic and Josh Sargeant were both brought to PSV for trials as youth prospects by his scouting team.
“Thomas’ ability to lead, organize and motivate his scouting team will undoubtedly produce results very quickly,” said Charlotte MLS Sporting Director Zoran Krneta. “In addition to welcoming Thomas to the growing team at Charlotte MLS, I am looking forward to closely working with him and his team in bringing the best soccer talent to the city of Charlotte.”
Schaling will be responsible for the Charlotte MLS scouting department that will identify talent—both locally and globally—for the main roster. He will also oversee the video scouting department while helping design and build player databases that will form the basis of player recruitment for years to come.
“After meeting the people involved in Charlotte MLS, I was convinced this is the right choice for myself and my family,” Schaling said. “I am looking forward to working together with Zoran, Tom and the club’s technical staff to build something successful here in Charlotte.”
Schaling will officially begin his duties once the United States government approves his work permit.
Charlotte MLS will make further additions to the soccer operations staff in the coming weeks.
