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Report: Crew to hire Toronto FC's Bezbatchenko as president

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The Columbus Crew are reportedly set to poach Toronto FC's senior vice president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko, a source told Neil Davidson of The Canadian Press.

Bezbatchenko will be named the Crew's new team president, and he's set to oversee both the franchise's business and sporting operations, sources told MLSsoccer.com's Sam Stejskal. He'll fill the void Gregg Berhalter left after he was named the United States men's national team's new head coach in December.

Bezbatchenko, an Ohio native, first joined the Reds in 2013 and was a key component in Toronto's 2017 championship season. During his tenure north of the border, Bezbatchenko helped orchestrate the designated-player signing of Sebastian Giovinco from Juventus. He also oversaw the additions of current team captain Michael Bradley from Roma and forward Jozy Altidore, who joined the Reds in 2015 in a swap for Jermain Defoe.

Both Davidson and Stejskal report Ali Curtis is among the candidates to replace Bezbatchenko. The 40-year-old executive was most recently the New York Red Bulls' sporting director, but he left his post ahead of the 2017 season.

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