“The club’s on-field performance this season was unacceptable,” co-chairmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan stated in a observation. “We owe it to our supporters, our players and our greater community to compete at a high level. We are focused on bringing leadership that will work closely with Wayne Rooney and our management team to build a squad that once again competes at the top echelon of Major League Soccer.
“In order to accomplish this and to evolve as a club, we felt it was necessary to make this decision and bring in new leadership.”
Kasper will stay in his place, stated folks aware of the location who spoke at the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk about the topic. The membership has employed a seek company to spot a alternative for Rushton. Her successor would paintings along Kasper moderately than below him, the ones folks stated.
Wayne Rooney, the previous superstar participant who was United’s trainer midseason, is predicted to take part within the procedure.
United completed 7-21-6, probably the most worst information in its 26-year historical past. The marketing campaign used to be marred through an early-season training trade — Hernán Losada used to be sacked six video games into his 2d yr and assistant Chad Ashton treated meantime tasks till Rooney’s appointment — and more than one lopsided defeats. The season ended with a four-game shedding streak and six-game winless rut.
United, which received the MLS Cup 4 occasions between 1996 and 2004, has ignored the playoffs 3 consecutive years and hasn’t received a playoff recreation since 2015.
After a 5-2 defeat to FC Cincinnati within the Oct. 9 season finale, Rooney steered the group would make adjustments not to most effective the roster, however the team of workers.
“It’s a lot of work for us now to make sure we bring the right players in, we bring the players who are going to develop the team,” he stated. “There are small changes around the team that need to happen, as well — which will happen.”
Rushton, who used to be Atlanta’s head of video and technical research for 5 years, didn’t reply to a message Wednesday. Levien, Kaplan and Kasper didn’t need to remark, a membership spokesman stated.
Before United employed Rushton, the one earlier feminine GM in MLS used to be Lynne Meterparel with San Jose in 1999-2000, however she had extra trade duty than roster affect.
Rushton’s dismissal got here as she used to be within the means of negotiating new participant contracts and dealing with Kasper and Rooney on roster choices.
She used to be no longer the one trade Wednesday. Performance director Victor Lonchuk, who labored intently with the training team of workers on participant preparation, used to be additionally fired, United introduced. He have been employed through Losada.
Ashton, an assistant since 2007, will likely be reassigned inside the group and assistant Nicolás Frutos, who used to be employed through Losada, won’t go back subsequent season, stated folks with reference to the location.
United is out there for an skilled assistant, ideally with MLS perception, to enroll in Rooney’s team of workers. Rooney will choose between quite a few applicants proposed through the entrance administrative center, stated an individual who didn’t need to be known.