The Philadelphia Union announced today that Rene Meulensteen has joined the team’s as a consultant (look for a transcript of the press conference later today).

Union owner Jay Sugarman said at the press conference, “We plan to augment our management team with a permanent sporting director to help take both our youth development and our first team performance to a higher level.”

He continued, “Now, we’re going to need some time to properly fill that role, but we’re not going to sit still in the meantime. And to help us right now, we’re happy to announce we’ve engaged Rene Meulensteen’s Partner in Sports practice to consult with us on many of our key decision over the next several months.”

News of Meulensteen’s hiring was first reported by Kristian Dyer at Metro on Nov. 12, and confirmed the next day by reports from Marc Narducci at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Kevin Kinkead at CBS Philly.

Dyer reported Muelensteen “will be a consultant ‘to assist with the sporting director structure’ of the club.”

Meulensteen, a former assistant coach at Manchester United and briefly the head coach of Fulham, has been linked to the Union since the search for a new head coach began following the dismissal of John Hackworth. Meulensteen was sighted at Gillette Stadium with Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz when the Union played New England Revolution on June 28.

On July 7, Kevin Kinkead tweeted that Meulensteen was in the mix of candidates to replace Hackworth. Rumors of the Union’s interest in Meulensteen continued throughout the summer. Another tweet from Kinkead on Sept. 9 indicated that Meulensteen remained a candidate for the head coaching job. This was followed up by a tweet from Taylor Twellman on Sept. 9 in which he said Meulensteen had not been offered the head coaching job. In a report at ESPN from Jeff Carlisle on Sept. 10, Sakiewicz confirmed that Meulensteen was a candidate for the head coach job but that no decision had been made.

In the ESPN report, Sakiewicz also said, “About three weeks ago, I suspended any kind of search activity for a new coach. I’m probably going to pick it up some time after the Open Cup. But [the new coach is] completely undetermined.”

On Sept. 11, Meulensteen confirmed to Voetbal International (translation here) that reports that he would be named head coach of the Union were “a tad premature,” adding, “I will not deny that something is up.”

On Sept. 19, Meulensteen told Fox Sports’ Dutch outlet (translation here) that talks with the Union were “in a fairly advanced stage.”

Meulensteen explained in the Fox Sports NL report, “When it comes to an agreement, I am the manager responsible for football affairs. I will also have contact with the ‘academy manager, but the focus is mainly on the first team. It is a varied package.” In hindsight, this seems a pretty fair description of what initial reports of his hiring have suggested Meulensteen’s responsibilities with the Union would be.

On Sept. 23, Dyer reported that Jim Curtin would be named the Union’s head coach “sometime this week.”

While Curtin said in his weekly press conference the next day that the report was “Not true,” explaining, “I’m still fighting to have the interim tag dropped,” Sakiewicz was soon publicly backing Curtin. Sakiewicz told John Smallwood of the Daily News in a report published on Oct. 15 that Curtin “is the right man.” In a report from Jack McCaffery of the Delaware County Daily Times on Oct. 19, the day after the Union’s last home game of 2014, Sakiewicz reiterated his support for Curtin, saying, “I’m committed to Jim Curtin long-term. He will be here a long time.

In a Philadelphia Inquirer report on Oct. 28 by Marc Narducci, Sakiewicz addressed the continuing rumors linking Meulensteen to the Union head coaching job, saying, “”I won’t say that won’t happen, but it isn’t happening now.”

On Nov. 6, Kinkead reported her at PSP that “Sources tell me that Rene Meulensteen has remained in the picture since [reports of Jim Curtin’s impending hire as permanent head coach]. He would not be the manager, but he would be given some kind of executive role, such as a ‘Sporting Director’ or a ‘Director of Soccer Operations’.”

Sakiewicz said in the Curtin announcement press conference on Nov. 7, “[W]e’re constantly evaluating our structure…We continue to look at making heavy investments in this club…We’re investing heavily in Jim and resources given to him to make sure we get this team continuing to move in the right direction…we are evaluating our structure, and whatever we can do to make the on-field product competitive.”

Sakiewicz added, “So, there’s going to be lots of announcements over the next three months — players, staff, structure, forward thinking, and I hope everybody’s excited about it.”

Curtin said in an installment of the KYW Philly Soccer Show recorded on Nov. 11 and published on Nov. 12, “Our ownership is doing things right now to put a structure in to support me as best as [they] can,” adding, “The structure is improving greatly around me. There will be more on that as this offseason progresses.”

News of the improving structure came quicker than most Union fans probably would have thought.