FC Cincinnati fired head coach Alan Koch on Tuesday after a rough start to the club’s inaugural MLS season.
FILE PHOTO: Apr 19, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch reacts to fans after a game against Real Salt Lake at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
With just two wins in its first 11 matches, Cincinnati (2-7-2, eight points) is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the New England Revolution. They are winless in their past seven matches and have been shut out in six of them.
“After a series of recent issues and a team culture that had deteriorated, we determined that it’s time to make a change to return a club-centered focus to the team,” team president Jeff Berding said in a statement. “This decision is not driven by recent game results themselves, but rather the underpinnings that have led to those results. We have not come close to maximizing the talent we have in the dressing room this year, nor have we seen a foundation being built that will set us up for success this year and into next year.”
Assistant coach Yoann Damet was named interim head coach while the club conducts a search for its next manager.
Cincinnati has scored a league-low eight goals this season.
According to MLS reporter Franco Panizo, there was growing discontent in the locker room about tactics on the field and several Cincinnati players had complained about being played at unnatural positions.
“We just need to have an identity. We don’t have an identity yet,” striker Fanendo Adi told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday. “Of course, we’re a new team and a bunch of new players, but we change formation and, you know, it’s no good. We just have to have an identity and that’s what is missing right now.”
Koch, 44, became the coach of Cincinnati’s team in the United Soccer League in early 2017. Last season, he led them to the USL regular season title and was named USL Coach of the Year.
Cincinnati’s next match is Saturday at home against Montreal Impact.
—Field Level Media