Atlanta United fired coach Gonzalo Pineda on Monday, less than 24 hours after another loss left the team even further out of playoff contention in Major League Soccer.
The team announced the change after a 3-2 home loss to Charlotte before more than 61,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (US)
Atlanta United has managed just one win (a surprising 3-1 road win over Lionel Messi and MLS-leading Inter Miami last week) in its last 11 games with Pineda on the bench. The team is 1-6-4 in that span, falling to 13th in the Eastern Conference and 24th overall in MLS.
Assistant coach Rob Valentino will take over as interim coach while Atlanta conducts its search for Pineda's successor.
“We are grateful to Gonzalo for his commitment and dedication to the club over the past four seasons,” club CEO and president Garth Lagerwey said in a statement.
“We made this decision in an effort to move the team in a new direction. As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our sports operation, Rob will have our full support in turning our season around in the second half.”
United also fired assistant coaches Diego de la Torre and Eugenio Villazón. Goalkeeping coach Liam Curran will remain in his current role.
Pineda led Atlanta to a 34-34-39 league record after taking over as head coach during the 2021 season. The team made two playoff appearances during his four seasons at the helm, but was eliminated in the first round both times.
