Sporting Kansas City has found its new head coach with the 2026 MLS season one month away.

Raphael Wicky has been appointed to the role, the Western Conference club announced Monday. Wicky signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with SKC, which includes a club option for the 2028-29 league season.

“I am very proud to be the new head coach of Sporting Kansas City,” Wicky said. “I am really excited to get started and get to know the team, the staff and the players. In my talks with David, we instantly had a good connection and felt very aligned in terms of culture and style of play. Sporting KC has always been a team that competed to win trophies and I feel that the club has all the ingredients to get back to where it belongs – great ownership, amazing facilities, a talented academy and a beautiful stadium with fantastic fans.”

Wicky’s last managerial role came with Swiss Super League side Young Boys from 2022-24, where he led the club to one league title and one Swiss Cup. He led Young Boys to a 51-17-20 record in all competitions during his two years there.

Prior to his move to Switzerland, Wicky was head coach of the Chicago Fire from December 2019-September 2021. He posted a 12-14-26 record in all competitions with the Fire.

Wicky has also served as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 men’s national team and manager of Swiss side Basel.

The 48-year-old also made over 360 club appearances as a player, featuring for Sion, Werder Bremen, Hamburg, and Chivas USA. He also earned 75 caps for the Swiss national team.

Sporting KC parted ways with former longtime head coach Peter Vermes last March after failing to win its opening six matches of the 2025 season. The club subsequently failed to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs last season for the third time in the past four years.