“Soccer in the USA is Booming” – Steven Turek on His New Challenge at Atlanta United

In this interview, we talk to Steven Turek, coach, speaker, and sports scientist who has made the leap from Germany to the United States, where he now works as the U18 head coach at Atlanta United.

Turek is well-known in the coaching world for his seminars and publications on soccer tactics and training methodology. Having worked with clubs and federations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, he has now taken on a new challenge in the youth department of an MLS team.

We spoke with him about his transition to the U.S., the growing soccer culture in the country, the differences in coaching structure, and what excites him most about working in MLS.

Hello Steven, congratulations on your new position at Atlanta United! How did this come about?

Thank you! Toward the end of my time at Hannover 96, I felt the need to experience something completely new. But at that point, I didn’t yet know what exactly that would look like. The decisive impulse came from an internship at Los Angeles FC, where my former colleague Steven Cherundolo gave me valuable insights for a week. After returning, the thought grew in my mind: How cool would it be to work in the MLS?

What exactly attracted you to MLS?

It was a combination of factors. Soccer is booming in the USA. The numbers speak for themselves, and that is reflected in massive investments—modern training centers, professional structures, and impressive development. On top of that, there’s the Club World Cup in 2025 and the World Cup in 2026. And we haven’t even mentioned the Messi hype! All of this led to the thought: It would be a dream to work in such an environment someday.

And “someday” quickly became reality. How did your move to Atlanta actually happen?

One big advantage in the USA is that many coaching positions are officially advertised. So, I was able to apply through a regular process. After three intense rounds—including interviews and developing a project—I got the call in early August: “Do you want to come to Atlanta?” In that moment, a dream came true that I didn’t even know I had a year earlier.

I’ve fulfilled a dream I didn’t even know I had.

Steven Turek

That sounds exciting! Tell us about your daily routine: What does training look like? Do you work with many Europeans?

Most of my colleagues are from the USA, but my direct supervisor is Spanish and was formerly the youth academy director at Real Madrid. Here, they deliberately integrate expertise from different cultures.

As for training itself, there are hardly any differences from Germany. My job is to develop the players and ideally prepare talents for the first team. The organizational framework, however, is different: We train at 9 a.m., the players get breakfast, and after training, they have a meal.

The school schedule is adjusted flexibly to fit the training plan without compromising education. Starting in the summer, we can even offer 40 players the opportunity to be taught directly at our club facilities. In Germany, on the other hand, many young talents have already had a ten-hour school day before even arriving at training.

The USA is significantly larger than Germany. How do the distances impact matchdays?

I always joke that the travel times are similar to the former Junior Bundesliga North/Northeast—except instead of taking a three-hour bus ride to Berlin, we now take a three-hour flight to New York or Boston. It sounds unusual, but the routines are basically the same.

Our league is regionally structured, so we mostly play against teams from New York, Toronto, Boston, Washington, or Miami.

For bigger events, we also face teams from the other conference, like Los Angeles or Seattle. All matches count toward the regional standings, and the better you perform, the stronger the opponents you face in these tournaments. This creates constant high-level competition—without the risk of relegation.

What other differences do you notice as a coach compared to Germany?

The weather! (laughs) At the end of January, it’s nearly 20 degrees Celsius here, which obviously keeps spirits high.

Another major difference is the professional infrastructure. Atlanta United is part of an organization that also includes the NFL team Atlanta Falcons and other businesses. You really feel that in daily life: Our training facility is currently being expanded, and it’s completely normal for us to attend events at the stadium or interact with other teams.

Everything here is under one roof—from sports to marketing. At lunchtime, we sit outside on the terrace, watch the first team train, and meet new people every day. It’s incredibly fun!

For our players, there are also quick opportunities to train with the pros. This is much more natural here than in Germany since our training takes place in the morning.

Do you have any interesting anecdotes from your time in the USA?

Quite a few things have happened over the past few months! A giant iguana in Miami that calmly watched our game from the sidelines. A moonlit landing over New York that was simply magical. And before going for a hike in the desert near Los Angeles, I was warned about rattlesnakes. It’s definitely never boring!

Thanks for your time, and best of luck!