Brian Bliss leaves as Sporting Kansas City technical director

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sporting Kansas City technical director Brian Bliss has left the team after nine years with the club.

The team said Monday the decision was mutual.

Bliss, a 58-year-old former defender who played for the U.S. at the 1990 World Cup and 1988 Olympics, was hired as director of player personnel in 2016 and promoted to technical director in 2019.

After a playing career that included stints at Energie Cottbus, Chemnitz and Carl Zeiss Jena, Bliss moved to Major League Soccer with Columbus, New York/New Jersey and Kansas City. He became a Kansas City assistant coach from 2000-06, then was technical director at Columbus and Chicago. He served as interim coach for short spells with Columbus, Chicago and Kansas City.