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Former United States women’s national team coach Jill Ellis has left her job as president of the NWSL‘s San Diego Wave and will move into a role as FIFA’s chief football officer alongside former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger, both the Wave and FIFA confirmed on Tuesday.
Ellis joined the Wave as the expansion team’s first president ahead of its inaugural NWSL season in 2022. She is the only coach to win back-to-back Women’s World Cups, guiding the USWNT to victories in 2015 and 2019.
“I am honoured to join FIFA in this pioneering role and to contribute to the growth of football from a global perspective,” Ellis said in a news release.
“FIFA has a unique ability, through football, to unite communities and to drive the game’s development worldwide. Having experienced football, from grassroots programmes up to senior national-team level, I’ve seen first-hand its transformative power.”
Ellis in July filed a defamation lawsuit against a former Wave employee who had accused Ellis of creating a toxic work environment, litigation is pending. Sources told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle last month that Ellis reached a settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2022 as part of the players’ landmark equal pay lawsuit.
FIFA said in a news release that Ellis will “serve as part of the world governing body’s executive management team, driving the development and implementation of FIFA’s global football strategy.”
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said: “Jill’s experience, enthusiasm and outstanding achievements make her the perfect choice for this role. She has been a true inspiration for many, and I look forward to seeing the impact of her work continue to inspire many more around the world. FIFA is very proud to have Jill and Arsène, two of the great football leaders and thinkers, to help us make our vision for football a reality. Her appointment demonstrates FIFA’s commitment to the future of the game and to creating more opportunities for the next generation.”
Wenger took on his FIFA role in 2019.