Chicago Red Stars coach Chris Petrucelli will not return to lead the team in 2024, the club announced Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Petrucelli assumed the role last February, succeeding Rory Dames, who stepped down in November 2021 amid complaints of verbal and emotional abuse during his tenure.
- The Red Stars currently sit last in the 2023 NWSL standings with a 7-11-3 (W-L-D) record. Petrucelli led Chicago to a 9-7-6 mark and sixth-place finish in his first season at the helm.
- Assistant Ella Masar will serve as interim head coach for the team’s regular-season finale against the OL Reign on Sunday.
Backstory
Chicago was eliminated from playoff contention this season after a 6-3 loss to the Kansas City Current on Saturday.
Petrucelli, previously a long-time college coach, joined the club as it was still reeling from the departure of Dames just a few months before Petrucelli’s appointment. In August, the team was dealt the heavy blow of losing star U.S. forward Mallory Swanson after she tore her patellar tendon in her left knee during an international friendly against Ireland.
The Red Stars have been under new ownership since Sept. 1, when a Laura Ricketts-led group of business owners finalized the purchase of the club for a final bid totaling $60 million. Ricketts…
