Atlanta United fires head coach Gonzalo Pineda after fifth straight home loss

ATLANTA — Atlanta United announced Monday morning that it has fired head coach Gonzalo Pineda. Assistant Coach Rob Valentino will take over as interim head coach effectively immediately.

The news comes one day after the team lost its fifth straight home game in a 3-2 loss to Charlotte FC.

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The team also fired assistant coaches Diego de la Torre and Eugenio Villazon. Goalkeeper coach Liam Curran will stay on the staff.

Pineda finished his time as United’s head coach with a 34-34-29 record.

“We are grateful to Gonzalo for his commitment and dedication to the club over the last four seasons. He has been an exemplary ambassador for the organization, and we want to thank him for his contributions to the club,” Atlanta United CEO and President Garth Lagerwey said. “We made this decision in an effort to move the team in a new direction. As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our sporting operation, Rob will have our full support to turn our season around in the second half.”

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