Top Stories

Impact hire Klopas to replace Schallibaum as head coach

Frank Klopas

Photo by Nick Turchiaro/ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

For the third time in as many years, the Montreal Impact have a new head coach.

After a disastrous late-season collapse that saw the Impact defeated early in the MLS Cup playoffs, owner Joey Saputo decided to make a change in manager, hiring former Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas to take charge of the Impact in the 2014 season. The news means that Marco Schallibaum won’t return to the club next season.

In addition to signing a three-year deal to be the new head coach, Klopas has also been named the director of player personnel.

Following the 2013 season, the Fire parted ways with Klopas after nearly three full seasons as a head coach and five years as the technical director. The Fire hired former MLS Coach of the Year winner Frank Yallop to replace Klopas for next season.

The Impact have stated that assistant coach Mauro Biello, goalkeeper coach Youssef Dahha, and fitness coach Paolo Pacione will return to the club next season.

Klopas will have a busy offseason trying to put together next season’s Impact squad, with so many starters on the wrong side of 30 and the loss of Alessandro Nesta. MLS MVP finalist Marco Di Vaio re-signed for next season, but the Impact faded down the stretch and will need to find upgrades in defense and in the midfield.

The 47-year-old coach and former Fire legend finished his time as head coach of the Fire with a record of 34-17-25 (W-T-L), with a winning percentage of just under 45 percent. The Fire only made the playoffs once in Klopas’ tenure, falling to the Dynamo in the knockout round in 2012.

——

What do you think of this news? How well do you see Klopas performing in Montreal? Do you feel that Schallibaum should have been given another year?

Share your thoughts below.

 

Comments

  1. another sign of the growth of soccer is the popular american sports habit of recycling mediocre coaches…klopas for yallop…..two giants of mediocrity….

    Reply
    • I was thinking the same thing. Obviously, these coaches understand MLS, but still would be nice to see some new faces and ideas brought in, even if they have assistants who understand the MLS structure. Kind of reminds me of the English structure where coaches just bounce from team to team.

      Reply
      • Can’t win either way.. when coaches bounce around people say “from mediocre to mediocre” (to which I agree to a certain point) if we get an international coach they’ll say “He has no MLS experience, doesn’t understand the intricacies of our league, doesn’t understand the American player.. blah blah blah” you get a college coach “he doesn’t have any experience at the pro level!!” so on and so on…

      • Joe Torre was considered a recycled coach when the Yankees hired him. This stuff happens everywhere and in every sport. Just because a coach doesn’t win in one city doesn’t mean it won’t happen in another.

Leave a Comment