St. Louis City fire coach Olof Mellberg after 15 matches
May 28 - The tenure of St. Louis City head coach Olof Mellberg has come to an end after 15 matches.
The club announced his dismissal Tuesday night. He has been replaced by David Critchley, the head coach of MLS NEXT Pro affiliate St Louis City2, on an interim basis.
St. Louis City is 2-8-5 (11 points) and in 14th place in the Western Conference. The club has just 11 goals on the season -- third worst in Major League Soccer -- and has given up 20.
"The decision to part ways with Olof goes beyond just results," sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said. "We've analyzed the team's performance across a number of factors, including the need to execute against a style of play that led to the team's initial success and has been part of our DNA for four years."
This is the third MLS season for expansion side St. Louis. The club led the Western Conference with 56 points in its inaugural season and missed the playoffs in 2024.
Mellberg, the former Sweden captain and Aston Villa star, replaced Bradley Carnell to become the second head coach in franchise history. Carnell was fired in July.
Mellberg, 47, was hired last November, and this is what team president and general manager Diego Gigliani said at the time:
"After careful consideration, we're thrilled to welcome Olof as our new head coach and are confident he'll be a great fit for St. Louis City SC."
But it apparently wasn't a good fit with Mellberg, who had been coaching clubs in Sweden and Denmark since 2015 before moving to St. Louis.
"We understood it would take time for Olof to become acclimated to Major League Soccer and certainly acknowledge injuries made his job difficult, but we simply could not continue down this path," Gigliani said.
"We are disappointed that we were not able to find success under Olof. He moved over here from Sweden and worked tirelessly on behalf of the club during his tenure. We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors."
St. Louis next plays Saturday at home against the San Jose Earthquakes.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
-and-Elon-Musk.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Republicans call for an end to Trump-Musk feud: ‘I hope it doesn't distract us'
As the Republican Party anticipates potential fallout from Donald Trump's public dispute with Elon Musk, prominent lawmakers and conservative voices are calling for reconciliation, wary of the repercussions of a sustained conflict. The animosity between the two figures could pose challenges for the Republican agenda, particularly concerning tax and border spending legislation championed by Trump but criticised by Musk. Representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington, expressed hope that the disagreement would not impede progress on critical tasks. Speaking on the matter, Newhouse said: "I hope it doesn't distract us from getting the job done that we need to. I think that it will boil over and they'll mend fences." As of Friday afternoon, Musk had refrained from further engagement, focusing instead on promoting his various companies on social media. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, voiced optimism for a resolution, telling Fox News that, "I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we'll get a lot more done for America than when they're at cross purposes". Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Trump and Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, "But … I really like both of them.' 'Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?' Lee posted, later adding: 'Repost if you agree that the world is a better place with the Trump-Musk bromance fully intact.' So far, the feud between Trump and Musk is probably best described as a moving target, with plenty of opportunities for escalation or detente. One person familiar with the president's thinking said Musk wants to speak with Trump, but that the president doesn't want to do it – or at least do it on Friday. The person requested anonymity to disclose private matters. In a series of conversations with television anchors Friday morning, Trump showed no interest in burying the hatchet. Asked on ABC News about reports of a potential call between him and Musk, the president responded: 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' Trump added in the ABC interview that he was 'not particularly' interested in talking to Musk at the moment. Still, others remained hopeful that it all would blow over. 'I grew up playing hockey and there wasn't a single day that we played hockey or basketball or football or baseball, whatever we were playing, where we didn't fight. And then we'd fight, then we'd become friends again,' Hannity said on his show Thursday night. Acknowledging that it 'got personal very quick,' Hannity nonetheless added that the rift was 'just a major policy difference.' House Speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence that the dispute would not affect prospects for the tax and border bill. 'Members are not shaken at all,' the Louisiana Republican said. 'We're going to pass this legislation on our deadline.' He added that he hopes Musk and Trump reconcile, saying 'I believe in redemption' and 'it's good for the party and the country if all that's worked out.' But he also had something of a warning for the billionaire entrepreneur. 'I'll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second-guess and don't ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,' Johnson said. "He is the leader of the party. He's the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.'
Times
18 minutes ago
- Times
My pool with a view — a fashion boss's Sao Paulo penthouse
Act now to keep your subscription We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
Times
18 minutes ago
- Times
The fascinating (if infuriating) show that all garden lovers should see
Act now to keep your subscription We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
