Atlanta United fires Ronny Deila after one disappointing season | Atlanta United

Atlanta United coach Ronny Deila was fired Sunday, a day after ending a 5-13-16 season that was the manager’s first in charge of the team. The club had recorded just one win in their last 18 matches and finished with 28 points, good for 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

Expectations were high for the season after the club hired an MLS Cup-winning coach in Deila, paid a $22 million transfer fee for striker Emmanuel Latte Lath from Championship Middlesbrough FC and re-signed Miguel Almirón from Newcastle United in the English Premier League.

Atlanta United CEO and president Garth Lagerwey said a global search for a replacement would begin immediately.

“It was evident that our level of play had not been met this season, and together with our management team, we decided that it was in the best interest of Atlanta United to move the team in a different direction,” Lagerwey said in a statement released by the team. “Ultimately, we owe our fans a much better product on the field and we are unwaveringly committed to delivering it to this community as quickly as possible.”

Lagerwey said he thanked Deila “for her time and commitment to the organization and wished her well in her future endeavors.”

The season ended with Saturday night’s 1-1 draw against DC United in the final appearance of longtime goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who announced his retirement Tuesday.

Deila was hired by Atlanta United on December 20, 2024. The move brought Deila back to Major League Soccer three years after guiding New York City FC to an MLS Cup title in 2021. Deila left NYC FC shortly after for Standard Liege and then Club Brugge, with her tenure at each club lasting less than a year. He arrived in MLS after a career in European football that included two years in charge of Celtic.

Deila got a three-year contract in Atlanta to replace Rob Valentino, who was interim coach after Gonzalo Pineda was fired in June 2024.

Atlanta United saw immediate success after entering the league in 2017, making the playoffs in its first season and winning the MLS Cup the following year, while setting numerous league attendance records.

Atlanta hasn’t won a trophy since the 2019 season, when it won both the US Open Cup and the Campeones Cup in addition to advancing to the MLS Eastern Conference Finals.