LAFC announced today that the Club has hired Marco Antonio Garcés as the Club’s first Director of Football Operations.
“It is incredibly exciting to add a football mind like Marco to our team,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “His extensive experience in building arguably the most productive Academy in North America at Pachuca and his expertise in scouting will add great value to LAFC.”
Garcés, 49, joins LAFC after a successful 11-year tenure at Liga MX Club de Fútbol Pachuca, where he served the last seven years as Sporting Director after also working as Chief Scout and Director of Football and Sports Sciences.
“I am extremely happy with the opportunity to work with LAFC and in Major League Soccer,” Garcés said. “I look forward to bringing my mix of experience working with Mexican and European players of all ages to Los Angeles. From what I have already seen, I know the future is bright for LAFC, and I am eager to start helping the club achieve its ambitious goals.”
During his time at Pachuca, Garcés helped the club win the 2016 Liga MX title, the 2017 Concacaf Champions League and deliver a third-place finish in the 2017 Club World Cup. Pachuca also collected trophies at every youth level and was a top supplier of players to Mexico’s youth and senior national teams.
A former Liga MX star who also appeared for the Mexican National Team, Garcés has an extensive background in European football, having served in the Liverpool FC academy in 2008-09. In 2009, Garcés also worked for Real Madrid CF and the Euro 21 Championship. From 2010-2016, Garcés was a scout for Manchester United in the Concacaf region.
While at Pachuca, Garcés was an essential part in the development and formation of the club’s academy talent and helped produce over 35 Pachuca Academy products who made their debut in Liga MX. He oversaw the record-breaking transfers of players like Hirving “El Chucky” Lozano and Erick Gutierrez to PSV Eindhoven and of Hector Herrera to FC Porto.
As a player, Garcés was a four-time Mexican League Champion and a two-time Concacaf Champions League winner. He began his career in the youth system of Club Deportivo Cruz Azul in 1989, and signed his first professional contract in 1991 with Cruz Azul Hidalgo in the Mexican third division. Garcés joined Cruz Azul in the top Mexican league in 1994, and went on to win trophies in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Garcés also played with Tecos UAG (1998-99) and Chivas Guadalajara before joining Pachuca in 1999. He helped Pachuca to trophies in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Garcés also represented the Mexican National Team, making five appearances for “El Tri” during the 2002 Concacaf Gold Cup.
