Sporting KC hire Raphaël Wicky as head coach on two-year contract | MLS
Sporting Kansas City on Monday named Raphaël Wicky as the fifth permanent head coach in franchise history.
Wicky, 48, coached the Chicago Fire from 2020 to 2021 before leading BSC Young Boys in his native Switzerland from 2022 to 2024. He signed a contract for the 2027-28 MLS season with an option for the 2028-29 campaign.
He becomes the club’s first full-time coach since Peter Vermes, who parted ways with Sporting KC after 17 seasons on March 31. Interim coach Kerry Zavagnin finished a difficult season that ended with the worst record (7-20-7, 28 points) in the Western Conference.
“We are thrilled to welcome Raphael as the next head coach of Sporting Kansas City,” said President and General Manager David Lee. “Rapha’s experience, both domestically and internationally, as well as his success at the highest levels of the game, made him the standout candidate during our search.
“He is a proven leader and winner who will bring a humble, collaborative and hard-working approach to his role and will strive to build strong relationships with our players and staff. Rapha teams are all about offense, energy and possession – all qualities that represent the style of play we want to implement here in Kansas City.”
Wicky, who also coached the U.S. U-17 team in 2019, compiled a 12-25-14 record with the Fire.
“I’m very proud to be the new head coach of Sporting Kansas City,” said Wicky, who played for now-defunct MLS team Chivas USA in 2008.
“I’m really excited to get started and get to know the team, the staff and the players. During my talks with David, we immediately had a good connection and felt very aligned in terms of culture and style of play.
“Sporting KC has always been a team that has competed to win trophies and I believe the club has all the ingredients to get back where they belong: great ownership, incredible facilities, a talented academy and a wonderful stadium with fantastic fans.”
The hiring comes less than seven weeks before Sporting KC opens the 2026 MLS season on Feb. 21 at the San Jose Earthquakes.
