It has been 122 days since Atlanta United and Frank de Boer decided “it’s not you, it’s me.”
It seems like a year.
Since the two sides “mutually agreed to part ways,” de Boer has gone on to be hired to coach the Dutch national team, one of the plum jobs in national team soccer.
Atlanta United has remained in a news vacuum with no credible ties or reports to any new manager to take over one of the plum jobs in North America.
Only rumors. Only wishes. Rafa Benitez. Gabriel Heinze. Matias Almeyda. Miguel Herrera. Juan Carlos Osorio. Joe Patrick.
So, why?
What is taking so long? There was 61 days between Gerardo Martino’s official resignation and the hiring of de Boer in 2018.
A few theories:
Atlanta United has reached an agreement with its candidate but the contract won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2021. It is waiting to introduce them closer to that date. If that’s true, it likely means the candidate is a free agent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t still be managing the club they are at.
Atlanta United has an idea who it wants to hire, and is confident it will land that candidate, but is waiting until that candidate’s season is over. If that’s true, it likely rules out many, many candidates because most seasons aren’t going to be done by mid-to-late January, which is when Atlanta United will likely start training camp. The notable exceptions are the break in December between the Apertura and Clausura in Mexico, the end of the season in China (where Benitez manages) in late October, and the ends of leagues in a few of the northern European countries.
Or, Atlanta United still hasn’t settled on a candidate.
The last scenario would, I imagine, be the most concerning for the front office as well as the team’s supporters. There is much work to do.
While I believe the team does have numerous quality players, I’m not as rosy on the composition of the roster as Darren Eales and Carlos Bocanegra. Upgrades are needed at defensive midfielder, left wing, centerback and central midfielder, among others.
A new manager would likely be consulted on those moves. But that still seems like a murky area within this team.
The good news, I suppose, is that there will be someone in place by the time the team breaks training camps. That’s less than two months away.
The wait won’t be long.
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