In every decision, from the players he brings on board to the outreach programs he supports, Schuster is thinking beyond the pitch.
When Axel Schuster arrived in Vancouver in November 2019, as the newly-appointed Sporting Director of the Vancouver Whitecaps and six months later added CEO to his title, the club was at a pivotal crossroads and he felt it incumbent upon himself to change the overall approach.“ It was very clear when I came that my first priority was to fix the culture of this club,” he says. “I’m not saying that there wasn’t a culture but we had to fi x the inside culture. “The
outside culture is a different one because we already had the fan support. I came at the end of 2019 and I think it was the low of the club, even though there was still a lot of excitement around the Vancouver Whitecaps.” Born and raised in Germany, Schuster’s journey into soccer leadership started early working with some of Europe’s most storied clubs, including FC Schalke 04. It was there that he honed his philosophy: soccer teams should not only aim to win games, but
also serve as pillars of their community. Schuster’s approach to leadership reflects this mission. In every decision, from the players he brings on board to the outreach programs he supports, Schuster is thinking beyond the pitch. With a resume that includes stints with European football powerhouses and a passion for fostering both talent and culture, Schuster brings a distinct brand of leadership that is both strategic and deeply personal.“ My background is law. I
studied it and was always interested in the technicalities of contracts in leagues,” says Schuster of his time in professional sports. “It was a different set-up in North America.” Upon his arrival five years ago, Schuster made it clear to ownership what his short and long term goals were. “I told them that if they want someone to win the league next year, don’t sign me,” he says. “First of all, that’s not what my strengths are and second, I had only seen select games and
didn’t think I knew the MLS market well enough to build a quick, successful team,” What he soon realized was that while club support on the outside was fi ne among the fan base, the problems originated on the inside.
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Schuster brings a distinct brand of leadership that is both strategic and deeply personal.
“We arrived here for the opener against Kansas City and when I saw the people and excitement in the city, it was way more than I was expecting after such a low point. It was the inside culture that was completely broken.“There was one very interesting conversation that I had in 2019 with a player that I wanted to sign. We ended up not signing him as I realized that this wasn’t particularly a team he really wanted to be on – and I want everyone we want to want to be
here.“We have to have people who feel that they belong and who all work in the same direction. We had to change this view that other people have of the club. We can’t be satisfied with that. Our supporters always continued to show support.”Priority number one for Schuster was to identify key elements of team success.“One of the fi rst things we did was paint our ‘Four Pillars’ in big font on the wall to our locker-room where we said these would be our cornerstones for
everything we do in the future.“We drafted them in all languages of the players we have on the team and we’ll add new languages if we add new players. These are the four things I will hold everyone in this organization accountable for: Work Ethic, Team Spirit, Mentality and Discipline.”While not initially familiar with Vancouver prior to his arrival in 2019,
Schuster immediately saw the potential – not just in the club but in Vancouver itself – a city known for its passion and diversity“The Whitecaps have a rich history,” he says, adding, “I felt we could take that foundation and build something even bigger for the future.”
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“ The Whitecaps have a rich history… I felt we could take that foundation and build something even bigger for the future.”
While fans are always eager for immediate wins, Schuster has focused on creating a sustainable model for the club, both on and off the fi eld. This includes investing in the club’s infrastructure, expanding youth academies and focusing on player development. One of Schuster’s key goals is to make the Whitecaps a top destination for emerging talent.“It’s not just about who we sign, it’s about who we develop. We want to be known as a club that fosters talent from within.That means giving young players the tools, coaching, and support they need to grow.”The development of homegrown talent is crucial for Schuster and he has made it a cornerstone of the Whitecaps’ future while laying the groundwork for being a competitive team for years to come.Under his leadership during his fi rst fi ve years at the helm, the Vancouver Whitecaps have seen signifi cant success, including a winning home record across all competitions.This includes three consecutive Canadian Championships, as a result, qualifying annually for the Concacaf Champions Cup, as well as MLS Cup Playoff s in three of the last four years. In addition, the club set an attendance record in 2024 as
Nathan Vanstone, Vice President Broadcast & Communications, Vancouver Whitecaps
they welcomed more than 500,000 fans across all competitions to BC Place.“Building a championship team is a process,” Schuster admits. “The foundation we’re laying today will pay dividends tomorrow.”
