Frank De Boer Out as Atlanta United Manager

Atlanta United had arguably the worst performance at the MLS Is Back tournament of all participating teams, and days after its ouster, the club has made a change at the top.

Manager Frank De Boer is out after a year and change at the helm, the club announced on Friday. Atlanta, playing without the injured Josef Martinez, went 0-3-0 in Orlando and failed to score a goal, finishing last in its group. Atlanta says it will be turning to an interim coach while it conducts a search for a permanent replacement. De Boer's assistants are all out as well, after De Boer and the club "mutually agreed to part ways," according to a statement.

“Under Frank’s guidance, the club had a strong 2019 season in both MLS and international competition. After discussing it with Frank, the decision was reached mutually to part ways. In winning two trophies in his first season in charge, he will always be a part of the club’s history, and with great appreciation and respect we wish him all the best in the future.”

After a rocky start to his first season, De Boer appeared to steady the ship, leading Atlanta to the Eastern Conference final and a second-place regular-season finish. Atlanta also won the U.S. Open Cup and the Campeones Cup (competition featuring MLS and Liga MX champions) last year. Atlanta won its first two regular season games prior to the pandemic-induced shutdown, though it lost Martinez to a torn ACL in the opener vs. Nashville.

De Boer had big shoes to fill, following Tata Martino, who had led Atlanta to an MLS Cup title before taking the Mexico national team job.

It's unclear when Atlanta will return to action. MLS has not yet revealed when its regular season will resume in home markets, though league officials have alluded to a resumption in some capacity later next month.