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Gabriel Heinze has been removed from his post as head coach of Atlanta United FC, the club announced on Sunday.
Heinze failed a season with Atlanta after being hired in December 2020, finishing with a 2-4-7 record in Major League Soccer. The team are on an eight-game winless streak, the club’s longest since joining MLS in 2017.
He also went 2-1-1 with Atlanta in the CONCACAF Champions League game.
Assistant coach Rob Valentino will take over as the club’s interim head coach, saying in a statement “a variety of issues related to the day-to-day management of the team have led the club to this decision.”
“It certainly wasn’t a decision we wanted to make at this point in our season, but it was the right one for the club,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said in a statement. “Gabi is a talented coach and is undeniably passionate about his profession and the sport of football. We are grateful for his service and wish him all the best for the future.”
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A source confirmed to ESPN an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report that the MLS Players Association filed a grievance with the league on behalf of the Atlanta players in which multiple collective agreement violations were cited.
ESPN can also confirm a report from The Athletic that the violations included exceeding the threshold for training hours before the start of the season. The source told ESPN that other violations included an insufficient number of days off for a certain period, as mandated by the CBA, as well as Heinze not providing a training program sufficiently in advance.
Heinze had come under pressure after benching star striker Josef Martinez and having him train away from the club.
During a call with reporters on Sunday, Eales added that Heinze and Martinez’s relationship “did not play a role in our decision.”
“They were two great personalities. You get that in football. You get that kind of clash. Josef and Gabi had a conversation yesterday, they’re actually training today,” Eales said. “Josef was training fully today here at the training ground. So it was not something to do with the decision we made. Obviously the schedules overlapped, but it wasn’t a factor. “
Atlanta CTO Bocanegra said Heinze’s relationship with the front office was “professional,” but declined to reveal more details.
“I don’t think there was anything, you know, weird or weird about it. As for some of the issues that have been raised or that have been brought to our attention, I won’t go into details here. It’s just not how we are. Again out of respect for Gabi, “Bocanegra said.
Regarding the candidates for the permanent position, Eales said: “We want to move quickly, but I also want to be clear, we want to get the right person. So you know there will be a factor to make sure that we move forward as quickly as we can, but not without undue haste and I think you know we’re going to cast the net wide and we’re not going to narrow down any options. “
Heinze’s last game in charge came in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution, where he spoke of the club’s struggles under him.
“Right now where we are right now, it makes me want to keep working more. I don’t want to quit that path,” Heinze said. “Why? Because I know it. It happened before me. The path was the same and I’m giving it all I got, all the effort. Let me tell you, it’s a good group of players. . Maybe the coach is bad. I really believe in what I’m doing and will continue to do the same. “
Heinze was hired by Atlanta after Frank De Boer’s sacking in July 2020, with Stephen Glass having been an interim coach for the remainder of the season. De Boer also struggled during his nearly two-year stint in Atlanta, which won the 2018 MLS Cup under inaugural coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Heinze came from the management of Argentina club Velez Sarsfield, leading the team to a third place in the 2019-20 season. His previous stops include Godoy Cruz and Argentinos Juniors. He led the latter to a promotion to the Argentine top flight during the 2016-17 season.
The former Argentina international and 2004 Olympic gold medalist has won numerous honors during a club career that has seen him dress for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. He won league titles in England, Spain and France, the latter with Marseille.
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