The New York Red Bulls have parted ways with head coach Gerhard Struber, the team announced Monday morning.
Strupper took over at the end of the 2020 season after less than two seasons with English Championship side Barnsley. He was criticized in April for not removing Red Bulls player Dante Fanzier from a game against the San Jose Earthquakes after Fanzier allegedly racially abused an opposing player.
Assistant coach Troy Lesson will take over as coach until the end of the 2023 season.
“I want to especially thank Gerhard for his dedication to this club and for the personal sacrifices he has made, especially after being away from his family,” said sports president Jochen Schneider in a club statement. “He has guided our players through a difficult time, keeping everyone in good spirits as he continued the run of matches. After many discussions with Gerhard over the past few weeks, we have come to a mutual agreement that a change now would be beneficial for both parties.”
Assistant coach Bernd Eppler also left the club.
“I have enjoyed my time at the New York Red Bulls,” Strober said in a club statement. “It was also clear to me that I wanted to return to Europe at the end of this season, at the latest. It was very difficult for me to live here, completely without my family. I communicated the club early enough about my desires and we came to an agreement to part ways. I wish the organization and the players all the best moving forward.”
Strober’s replacement Lissen joined the Red Bulls’ staff as an assistant ahead of the 2022 season. Prior to joining RBNY, the 39-year-old was head coach and technical director of association championship club New Mexico United. He was New Mexico’s first coach as they entered the USL in 2018 and was named USL Coach of the Year in 2020.
The Red Bulls are currently at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference with nine points after 11 games. The team finished sixth in the conference in 2020, seventh in 2021, and fourth in 2022. The club was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in all three of those seasons.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
(Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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