Atlanta United brings back Ronny Deila to MLS as new coach
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta United hired Ronny Deila as its new coach on Friday, bringing him back to Major League Soccer three years after he guided New York City FC to a championship.
The 49-year-old Norwegian manager agreed to a three-year deal to replace Rob Valentino, who served as interim coach after Gonzalo Pineda was fired in early June.
The hiring of Deila completes a overhaul of Atlanta United’s leadership team. Chris Henderson was brought in Monday as chief soccer officer and sporting director.
Both Henderson and Deila will report directly to team president and CEO Garth Lagerwey, who has stressed that each will have defined roles. Henderson will be in charge of building the roster, while Deila will handle on-field duties.
Deila brings more than 17 years of head coaching experience across several countries and has won a total of six trophies, including four league titles and two domestic cup competitions.
His only previous experience in MLS was two-plus seasons at New York City FC, which included an MLS Cup title in 2021.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ronny as the new head coach of Atlanta United,” Lagerwey said in a statement. “He has a proven track record of winning in multiple leagues around the world, including the 2021 MLS Cup with NYCFC, and his knowledge of MLS was a key factor in our search.”
Atlanta United had immediate success after entering MLS in 2017, making the playoffs in its debut season and winning the MLS Cup the following year, while setting numerous league attendance record.
But the team hasn’t won a trophy of any kind since the 2019 season, when it captured both the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in addition to making a run to the MLS Eastern Conference final.
Atlanta has gone through five coaches in the last five seasons, including Valentino serving two stints as interim coach.
“This is a club with great ownership, excellent facilities and the ambition to succeed and continue to drive the league forward,” Deila aaid. “I’m happy to return to MLS, a competitive league that I enjoy, and I’m eager to arrive and get to work with our group of players.”
Lagerwey fired both Pineda and technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who had been with the team since its inception, during this past season. Atlanta barely qualified for the playoffs with the lowest point total of any postseason team, then pulled off a stunning upset of Lionel Messi and Supporters’ Shield winner Inter Miami before losing to Orlando in the conference semifinals.
Henderson made his first major move on Friday, acquiring midfielder Mateusz Klich from D.C. United in exchange for Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
The 34-year-old Klich, a native of Poland, signed with D.C. United ahead of the 2023 season after a long career in Europe. He has started 62 of 63 matches over the last two years, scoring six goals to go along with 22 assists.
Now, Atlanta is turning to Deila in hopes that he can lead the team to the kind of success it had in its first three seasons.
“We believe his style of play aligns with the club’s philosophy as we look to build a team that will compete for trophies consistently,” Lagerwey said.
