“I don’t think we talk enough about the off the pitch situation for players”: Young Swiss aim to change the perception
Off The Pitch
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By Kasper Kronenberg , Editor-in-Chief, Off The Pitch
“I think you can compare it to working in a startup. The club is living a deep rebuild, a Renaissance”
Richard Feuz , General Manager at Chicago Red Stars s, currently in sixth place (the club finished in last place last season) in The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) , knew exactly what to expect, but still, he smiles when thinking about some of the basic things that he needs to take care of together with his colleagues.
“Nothing was hidden from me when I signed. So I am very appreciative of the transparency by the owners, and of course, not least, that I have been given the opportunity to build a winning culture – and team – here in this truly magnificent league in the US,” says Richard Feuz, who moved to Chicago with his wife and daughter at the beginning of the year.
During the hiring process, he was told that a massive rebuild had to take place as part of the ownership change. Back in September last year, a diverse investor group led by Laura Ricketts and prominent Chicago women business and civic leaders officially took ownership of the Chicago Red Stars National Women’s Soccer League franchise in a deal valued at $60 million. Ricketts was one of the first women and LGBTQ+ owners of a major U.S. professional sports franchise.
Build from scratch
“Coming from Europe to this country, you expect things to be top modern and state-of-the-art since this league has seen such magnificent growth. However, this was not the case, and I was also told so in the conversations prior to me signing the contract. So, in many ways, we have to build from scratch and have an entrepreneurial mindset, since we need clarity on job descriptions, processes, and so on.
But this is also what makes this challenge so great and unique,” says Richard Feuz, who as the general manager is responsible for all soccer operations of the club including managing the coaching, performance, training and administration staff as well as the construction of the team roster through player acquisitions, trades or releases.
Feuz served as the president and sporting director of Servette’s women’s team since 2017. During his time as sporting director, Servette finished at the top of the table in the AXA Women’s Super League, the top women’s league in Switzerland, four-consecutive times (2019-2023), and won the Swiss Women’s Super League once (2021 and just won the 2024 yesterday with the team he built) and the Women’s Swiss Cup (2023). The Servette women’s team qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League three-consecutive times (2020-2022).
When Laura Ricketts and her co-owners decided to hire 32-year old Feuz it was also due to his accomplishments on the commercial side.
Need to take a bigger responsibility
Indeed, he also served during more than 3 years (2020 to 2023) as the CEO of the Servette FC 1890 ’s men’s team. During this period, beyond the historic results of the men's club, qualifying 3 times in 4 seasons for European competitions and achieving its best final ranking (2nd in 2023) in 25 years.
Feuz also oversaw a 600 per cent growth in merchandise revenue and a 120 per cent growth in commercial revenue between 2020-2023. Feuz also spearheaded digital development of the club, which resulted in a 250 per cent growth in engagement over the same period, making it the highest engagement in growth among all Swiss clubs.
He has been in the job since early February and now has a much clearer idea of what needs to be done for the club to continue improving their performances on the pitch and eventually compete for the championship.
“I don’t think we talk enough about the off-pitch situation for players,” he says.
“We all focus so much on those 4 hours every day, where players train with their teammates. But what about the other 20 hours of the day? We need to take on a bigger responsibility as a club,” says Feuz.
He believes that the biggest task lying ahead for him is building a culture within the club where all player and staff feel that they are part of a strong and caring family. Every player and staff member should be happy when they arrive to work in the morning, which is not always the case.
“As an organization, obviously, we can’t fix everything, so I know that there will always be tough days no matter what you do to support and help your employees. However, I feel that we should do more to make our players feel relaxed, happy, and settled in this city,” says Feuz.
Player care
He says that it is about changing the whole mindset in the club, where everyone needs to understand that for players to put in top performances on the pitch, they must feel safe and confident about all the “off-the-pitch” aspects of their lives.
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“We haven’t yet defined in detail the areas where we want to be more supportive towards our players, but it could include things like making sure that they are helped in all aspects of finding and moving into an apartment. For foreign players, it could involve for example helping to ensure the right bank accounts are set up,” says Feuz.
He calls it “Player Care” instead of referring to those things as something that must be handled by the operational department.
“We must understand that moving to another city or country can be a quite stressful maneuver. I have tried it myself a few times, and I have been so lucky that people have helped me make the transition smooth. As a club, I think we have to prioritize this area, also because I believe it will have a big impact on the performances of the new players,” says Richard Feuz.
For him, the responsibility is more than just helping players out when they arrive as new signings.
“First of all, we need to understand that infrastructure is not everything. You can have the best facilities in the world, but if a player – or the player’s family – doesn’t feel happy and settled, then those facilities won’t help you.”
Blend of culture
Feuz also emphasizes the importance of clubs assisting players in planning their lives after their playing careers.
“I sense that this is something players think a lot about: what to do once they stop playing. And for the transition to be successful, it has to be planned. I hope that in the future, we will be seen as a partner helping them with their future careers.”
Although Richard Feuz is enthusiastic and passionate about the use of data in football, he has learned in the States that what makes the difference is the culture in the club, not just understanding what data to use, and how to use it.
“The blend of culture in life is the most powerful thing we can use. But it's also the most challenging one,” he says.
In the US, he has learned the power of diversity.
“This is a country with so many cultures represented in basically all organizations. So as a leader, you have to understand what this can bring to your business and team. And for me, it's about listening more than you talk. Understanding that even though you are a leader, and you have a big responsibility, you need all employees to chip in with their ideas and opinions.”
He believes that having a methodology around playing style, recruitment, scouting, training, sleep, diet, etc., are basics that you need to master. But ultimately, he believes that the most successful teams are those that crack the code to building a culture where everyone feels safe and motivated to go the extra mile.
They have to build it themselves
“I believe that the human side is the most important thing. Football is a game played by human beings. And they have emotions—just like the fans get emotional when they watch football. So we need to get all those things balanced as well as we can. And I am not telling the players and my colleagues how our culture should be. We have to build it together; My goal is to give them the pillars and the direction,” says Feuz.
Q: You are still relatively new in the States. What has surprised you the most so far compared with your experiences from European football?
“Well, I knew that the business and marketing mindset was much stronger in the US, but I must admit I was surprised to see how big the difference is. Our Business & Marketing department is so big that you can compare it to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. It’s really impressive.”
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