CARSON, Calif. – To say Pete Vagenas bleeds LA Galaxy white, navy blue and gold is no stretch of the imagination.
The 38-year-old Southern California native grew up as a fan of the team. The former UCLA standout was drafted by the five-time MLS Cup champions in the second round of the 2000 MLS SuperDraft, he eventually became captain of the team and won numerous trophies in his nine seasons as a player, including two MLS Cups (2002 and 2005), a CONCACAF Champions Cup, a Supporters’ Shield and an MLS Cup/U.S. Open Cup double in 2005. He took over as the club’s academy director in 2013 and eventually became vice president of soccer operations.
Now he is the team’s general manager and has been tasked with helping oversee a stunning makeover that has included the departures of head coach Bruce Arena to the U.S. National Team, Steven Gerrard to retirement and Robbie Keane for pastures unknown.
So when Vagenas talks of making sure he gets it right regarding his beloved team – “We’re going to continue to be who we say we are,” he said – he really means it.
“I take a tremendous amount of accountability when it comes to this club,” he said. “I have a tremendous sense of responsibility, both personally and professionally.”
His deep-rooted affection for the Galaxy is what convinced team president Chris Klein that Vagenas was the right man for the general manager’s position that became vacant when Arena exited. Arena had doubled as head coach and general manager since arriving in Los Angeles during the 2008 season.
“It sounds a little hokey, but the affection he has for the Galaxy is deep,” Klein said of Vagenas. “There are a lot of smart soccer people and there are a lot of people that can do this job. He’s definitely all of those things.
“His love and attention and affection for this club really sets him apart.”
Vagenas has been on the job for less than a month and admitted he’s felt a little overwhelmed at times. He did relax a little when no Galaxy players were selected in the recent MLS expansion draft, but other respites have been hard to come by. He was involved in a head coaching search that culminated in the hiring of Curt Onalfo and then helped orchestrate a trade that netted the rights to U.S. National Team veteran Jermaine Jones.
“I’ve been part of this club for a very long time and celebrated the highest of the highs and cried the lowest of lows,” Vagenas said. “To be able to be involved at every level, and obviously in my position now is humbling. People throw the word ‘club’ around loosely. I do not. We have an emotional connection with our fans, with our community and at the end of the day it continues to be my driving force.”
Vagenas understandably considers himself lucky.
“Certainly,” he said. “You look back on your career and maybe you second-guess choices you made or opportunities you passed up. But to find myself as a member of this place for so long, I couldn’t really script a better story for myself.
“With that I will say I do find it our responsibility as a club to continue to set standards and push the envelope. We’re not a place that stands still. We will continue to be bold and continue to drive the discussion of soccer in this country.”
