Atlanta United parts ways with head coach Gonzalo Pineda

Atlanta United has parted ways with head coach Gonzalo Pineda, the team announced Monday. The 41-year-old former Mexico international was in the final year of his three-and-a-half-year contract. Atlanta assistant coach Rob Valentino will take over as interim coach for the foreseeable future.

“We made this decision in an effort to take the team in a new direction,” said Garth Lagerwey, CEO and president of Atlanta United. “As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our sports operations, Rob will have our full support in turning our season around in the second half.”

Under Pineda, Atlanta United won 38 games, drew 31 times and lost 41 games. Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Charlotte FC was Atlanta’s fifth straight loss at home. This proved to be the final straw for the Atlanta United front office, who now must hire the club’s fifth head coach since 2017.

“I think we needed these three points. I agree 100 percent,” Pineda said after Sunday’s loss. “I think when you analyze the games, it’s a similar story to many, many games, especially home games…I think there were games where we were better, we created more occasions. We had a chance to win those games, but we didn’t. It’s frustrating.”

Pineda was expected to be a long-term employee after the club fired Gabriel Heinze midway through the 2021 season. Pineda was a longtime assistant with the Seattle Sounders, but he had never been a head coach before his appointment in Atlanta. His communication skills and tactical skills, however, convinced the recruitment committee made up of Darren Eales, now former president of Atlanta United, current technical director Carlos Bocanegra and club owner Arthur Blank.

After Heinze’s rigid management style proved problematic, Atlanta’s front office went in the opposite direction with Pineda. However, Pineda’s tenure was not without conflict. In 2022, Pineda was involved in a locker room altercation with former MLS MVP Josef Martinez. The club handed Martinez a one-week suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Atlanta finally bought out Martinez’s contract last winter.

On the field, Atlanta struggled to perform consistently. Despite the presence of Argentine playmaker Thiago Almada and golden boot candidate Giorgos Giakoumakis, as well as several signings in the summer of 2023 intended to strengthen the team’s spine, Atlanta United showed little improvement from one match to the next.

Last Wednesday’s win over Inter Miami was the club’s first victory away from Atlanta in 12 attempts. The victory ended a nine-game winless streak that had subjected Pineda and his team to increased scrutiny.

After winning an MLS Cup in 2018, its second year of existence, Atlanta United fell well short of expectations. The club hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019. The loss to Charlotte at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday was a blow that Pineda couldn’t recover from.

(Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)