Former Liverpool FC Exec To Lead Nashville's MLS Team

NASHVILLE, TN -- In a major and surprising coup for the fledging club, Nashville's MLS team will be led by the former CEO of Liverpool FC, one of the world's most storied soccer teams, the team announced Monday.

Ian Ayre, 55, left the legendary team of his own accord in 2017. He joined the team in 2007 as commercial director and as a member of the board of directors, becoming managing director in 2011. He was named CEO in 2014 where he served his final three years, winning the Premier League's Executive of the Year award in his final season.

Ayre overhauled the club's on- and off-field elements, spearheading a $160 million expansion of its venerable Anfield Stadium.

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He came under fire for a controversial ticket price increase, which resulted in the walkout of more than 10,000 fans. That decision was later reversed and the club issued an apology.

He took a job leading German side TSV 1860 Munich after leaving Merseyside, but left after just eight weeks because of frustrations with the internal politics of the team's ownership group.

In an interview with The Tennessean, Ayre said he took on the Nashville job because it's a challenge completely different from what he faced at Liverpool, a team with 125 years of history that includes some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport.

“Through that time I had a number of calls from, let’s just say big clubs,” Ayre told the paper. “But that was never going to be of interest to me, established clubs rather than this, because I’ve kind of done that.”

The team is expected to begin play in 2020.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images