Tue Dec 18 13:29:23 2007

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Osorio named new head coach of Red Bulls

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New York, NY (Sports Network) - Red Bull New York named former Chicago Fire coach Juan Carlos Osorio as its head coach on Tuesday. Osorio and the Red Bulls reached a deal a little over a week after the Columbian left his post at Chicago for "personal, family reasons."

"Since our search began, Juan Carlos was at the top of our list," Red Bull New York Managing Director Marc de Grandpre said. "When I first met Juan Carlos, he outlined the same philosophical values of soccer and building a team that we also strive to follow. Juan Carlos has gained an impressive amount of coaching experience in three continents and his strong knowledge of American soccer and MLS and ferocious work ethic make him the perfect individual to lead our club into the future and towards an MLS Cup."

Osorio, 46, returns to New York, where he served as an assistant coach/conditioning coach for two seasons from 2000-01, after guiding Chicago to a 6-3-6 record in 15 Major League Soccer matches and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final in 2007. Osorio joined the Fire as head coach on July 9, taking over for Dave Sarachan after serving as manager for Club Deportivo Millonarios in Colombia. He led the Bogota-based club to an 11-6-7 record during the 2007 season and a fourth place finish out of 18 teams in the Mustang Cup. The club also qualified for the 2006 Copa Sudamericana under Osorio.

"It is an honor and privilege to return to New York and lead the Red Bulls," Osorio said. "Red Bull is an organization committed to sporting excellence. They are committed to making this franchise successful and I am looking forward to contributing to that success."

Prior to his time in Colombia, Osorio spent five years (2001-06) in the English Premier League with Manchester City, starting as conditioning coach before being promoted to assistant coach.

Red Bull New York received permission to speak with Osorio, who was under contract with the Fire, in exchange for the Red Bulls' first round selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, a third round selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft and cash considerations.