Diego Valeri was announced director of player development for men’s soccer on Sept. 11 after serving in the role since late August.
As a player development coordinator, Valeri is not a coach or involved in recruitment. Rather, he will be a consultant to the team — using his knowledge of the game to provide coaches strategic advice, while also being a resource for players.
Valeri had a remarkable career in Major League Soccer (MLS) with the Portland Timbers. He retired as the club’s all-time leader in goals, the 2017 MLS MVP and led the Timbers to an MLS Cup victory in 2015, winning cup MVP. He was named one of the greatest 25 players in MLS history in 2020.
Post-retirement, Valeri has gained experience broadcasting matches. Head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt looks forward to how Valeri can assist the team with knowledge of different aspects of the game.
“What he’s done as a player is incredible, but he’s also commentating on MLS games,” Carlin-Voigt said. “He sees the game in a different way.”
As a Timbers legend, Valeri is rooted in Portland and wants to continue contributing to its soccer culture.
"Portland is a city I deeply love and my home, and soccer has always connected me to its people,” Valeri said in a Sept. 11 press release. “I'm excited to stay involved with the community, to help create opportunities for young players to grow on and off the field and to be part of the next generations of the game."
Like Carlin-Voigt, senior defender and midfielder Oliver Jeppe anticipates how Valeri’s experience will help the team.
“He knows what it takes to get to the next level,” Jeppe said. “Surrounding yourself with a pro and a winner creates winners.”
Carlin-Voigt also thinks Valeri will be a great resource for players off the field.
“[Valeri can] talk about the things that you don't see in the professional side like the challenges, the loneliness, the isolation, the cutthroatness of that world,” Carlin-Voigt said. “I think he can also appreciate the balance we have between academic and athletic excellence, and that really fits the vision of the university: developing the whole person.”
Kaeden Souki is the Sports Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
