Gabriel Heinze has been relieved of his duties as Atlanta United FC head coach, the club announced Sunday.
Heinze did not make through one season with Atlanta after being hired in December 2020, finishing his time with a 2-4-7 record. The team is on an eight-game winless streak in Major League Soccer, the club’s longest since joining MLS in 2017.
Assistant coach Rob Valentino will take over as interim head coach with the club saying in a statement “a variety of issues relating to the day-to-day leadership of the team led the club to this decision.”
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“This was certainly not a decision we wanted to make at this point in our season, but it was the right one for the club,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said in a statement. “Gabi is a talented coach and is undeniably passionate about his craft and the sport of soccer. We are grateful to him for his service; and wish him all the best in the future.”
Heinze had come under pressure after he benched star forward Josef Martinez and had him training away from the club. After Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution, Heinze talked about the club’s struggles under him.
“In this moment we are right now, it makes me want to keep working more. I don’t want to leave this path,” Heinze said. “Why? Because I know it. It’s happened before to me. The path was the same and I give it everything I have, all the effort. Let me tell you that this is a good group of players. Possibly, the coach is bad. I truly believe in what I’m doing and I will continue to do the same.”
Heinze was hired by Atlanta after Frank De Boer was fired in July 2020 , with Stephen Glass having served as interim coach for the rest of that season. De Boer also struggled during his nearly two-year stint in Atlanta, which had won the 2018 MLS Cup under inaugural coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Heinze came from managing Argertinian club side Velez Sarsfield, leading the team to a third place finish during the 2019-20 season. His previous stops include Godoy Cruz and Argentinos Juniors — the latter he led to promotion to Argentina’s top flight during the 2016-17 season.
Heinze won numerous honors during a playing career that saw him suit up for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. He won league titles in England, Spain, and France, the latter of which was with Marseille.