Ali Curtis: Leaving Red Bulls 'made the most sense'

Ali Curtis admits his departure from the New York Red Bulls was logical.

On Thursday, the Red Bulls announced Curtis and the club mutually agreed to part ways after weeks of trying to work through different views. He had been working as a sporting director since 2014, and, in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC’s Jeff Carlisle, didn’t hesitate to confess his exit from Red Bull Arena was rational.

“It’s still kind of raw,” Curtis said. “I have some mixed feelings for sure. But I honestly am focused and excited about the next chapter. I’m trying to process it, but I want to move forward. My direction is north.”

Regarding the different view between Curtis and the Red Bulls, he said: “We did spend the last three or four weeks trying to sort out these difference. We felt that (my leaving) was what made the most sense. I think that they’re going to move forward, they’re going to have fill my role, and they’ll be getting ready for the CONCACAF Champions League game next week, which is awesome, and I’m going to move forward and figure out my next step.”

Under Curtis’ leadership, the Red Bulls fired Mike Petke and appointed Jesse Marsch as manager. It was judged as a controversial decision at the time, but the club went on to win the 2015 Supporters’ Shield and achieve back-to-back first-place finishes in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. It was also during his tenure that NYRB II was created in order to serve as a development platform for academy players and young professionals.