Atlanta United fired coach Gonzalo Pineda on Monday, less than 24 hours after another loss dropped the team further from playoff contention in Major League Soccer.
The team announced the change coming off a 3-2 home setback to Charlotte before more than 61,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Atlanta United managed only one victory — a surprising 3-1 road triumph over Lionel Messi and MLS-leading Inter Miami last week — in its final 11 games with Pineda on the sideline. The team is 1-6-4 over that span, dropping to 13th in the Eastern Conference and 24th overall in MLS.
Assistant coach Rob Valentino will take over as interim coach while Atlanta conducts the search for Pineda’s successor.
“We are grateful to Gonzalo for his commitment and dedication to the club over the last four seasons,” club CEO and president Garth Lagerwey said in a statement.
“We made this decision in an effort to move the team in a new direction. As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our sporting operation, Rob will have our full support to turn our season around in the second half.”
United also fired assistant coaches Diego de la…
