Toronto FC announced Friday that Tim Bezbatchenko has been named the club's new General Manager.

Bezbatchenko, 31, has spent the past three years as the Senior Director of Player Relations and Competition with Major League Soccer (MLS). In that role, he was responsible for negotiating and drafting player contracts, as well as finalizing loan and transfer agreements for the import and export of players to and from MLS. In addition he oversaw all MLS rosters, the MLS player pool, and team salary budgets.

"This is a unique move and it is one that perfectly addresses what Toronto FC needs," said Tim Leiweke, President & CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. "Tim brings an analytical mind to the job along with the best understanding that I've seen of the salary cap and how to manage it. He knows how to build a team that will win long-term and he believes, like we do, that his vision will have an immediate and positive impact on this team. We are excited about adding Tim's knowledge, experience and relationships within MLS to Toronto FC and we now look forward to focusing together on the most important job: putting a winning team on the pitch for Toronto FC supporters."