Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda fired

Gonzalo Pineda, the longest-tenured head coach in Atlanta United history, was fired on Monday.

Pineda, 41, has led Atlanta to two playoff berths in the past three seasons, but the club is currently 13th (4-8-4, 16 points) in the Eastern Conference and has one win in its last 11 matches (1-6-4). Atlanta has also lost five straight at home.

Rob Valentino was elevated from assistant coach to interim coach, while assistants Diego de La Torre and Eugenio Villazon were also fired from their positions. Goalkeeping coach Liam Curran has been retained.

Pineda, who joined Atlanta in August 2021, finished with a 34-34-29 record in three-plus seasons in his first head coaching role. He was previously an assistant with the Seattle Sounders.

“We are grateful to Gonzalo for his commitment and dedication to the club over the past four seasons. He has been an exemplary ambassador for the organization and we would like to thank him for his contributions to the club,” said Garth Lagerwey, CEO and President of the team. said in a statement.

“We made this decision with the goal of moving the team in a new direction. As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our athletic operation, Rob will have our full support in turning our season around in the second half.”

–Field level media