Jonathan Lintner

@JonathanLintner

Louisville City Football Club president Djorn Buchholz, hired in August to lead the new minor league soccer franchise, has resigned from his post effective immediately, the team announced Tuesday

Buchholz came highly recommended to Louisville from Major League Soccer's Sporting KC, where he served as director of fan experience, and had returned to his roots after working previously as a president for franchises in Texas and Minnesota.

"Djorn enjoys building on the fan and supporter side, and I think this became a little more than he thought it was," said Louisville City FC owner Wayne Estopinal. "We don't seem to be making quite the progress that we expected, and I think a lot of it just has to do with the magnitude of responsibilities. We've got a major business we're running."

The team's vice president of operations, Amanda Duffy, was appointed as general manager to replace Buchholz. She previously worked within the USL Pro league office and as senior director of United Soccer Leagues' women's pro-am division.

"Louisville City is in a great spot. We really are," Estpoinal. Still, though, the owner said he was close enough to Buchholz to have him over on Thanksgiving "and is a wonderful guy. This didn't come easy. Let's put it that way."

Louisville City FC starts play next year in USL Pro, a quick-expanding league that will reportedly establish a geographic, two-conference system starting next year. RecklessChallenge.net's Chad Hollingsworth broke the news out of USL Pro's meetings last week in Florida, adding that each club will likely play 28 regular-season matches — 14 apiece at home and on the road.

As USL Pro grows from 14 teams in 2014 to as many as 24 in 2015, Louisville City FC is expected to fit into an Eastern Conference consisting of teams as far north as Montreal and as far south as Charleston with St. Louis to the west. The other half of the league would then make up the Western Conference.



Though Estopinal could not confirm the USL Pro news -- what happens at the league's meetings is confidential -- he said "we've had an incredible two weeks" despite Buchholz's departure.

The Orlando City Soccer Club, Louisville City FC's MLS affiliate, picked up 10 players in last week's expansion draft. The parent team also has the No. 1 pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, while Louisville City coach James O'Connor continues to recruit prospects this week in the United Kingdom.

"I don't worry about the franchise," said Estopinal, who also owns a stake in Orlando City SC. "I think we're in a really good place."

Already, Louisville City FC has signed three players with professional experience. Also, Buchholz said last month that the club had neared 2,000 season ticket deposits before they actually went on sale at starting at $180 with Louisville Slugger Field serving as the franchise's home.

Taylor Sorrels, former president of the Louisville Coopers soccer support group, wrote in a statement to the organization's website Tuesday: "The news was obviously quite a surprise to Coopers leadership. In the time he was with the club, Buchholz took great pains to engage with the Coopers, appearing on multiple podcasts and joining us for events and meetings. He will no doubt be missed, and we as a supporters club wish him nothing but the best in whatever direction his future may take him.

"With respect to Duffy, while she is new(ish) to Louisville City FC, she's not without a stacked resume, having been director of USL's W-League prior to joining LCFC. We have nothing but confidence that she is up for the task of running the club in its inaugural season, and look forward to working with her for the best fan experience possible going forward."

Buchholz did not immediately respond to request for comment.