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Two weeks after their postseason came to an end, the Vancouver Whitecaps are already making changes. The team announced Monday that it is parting ways with head coach Vanni Sartini, and will be looking for a new coach this offseason.
Sartini has been a member of the Whitecaps organization since 2019, starting as an assistant coach. He was promoted to head coach in November 2021.
In a statement, Sartini and Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster both expressed their gratitude for one another.
“I took my time with this decision, and it was not taken lightly,” Schuster said in the statement. “We have taken important steps each year and it is now the right time for someone else to lead this group on the pitch with fresh and new energy.”
“I will always be grateful to Axel Schuster and ownership for entrusting me to be the technical lead of this club in such an important time,” Sartini added in the statement. “I will also always remember with fondness the successes on the field, but what I will cherish the most is the memories of my relationship with the fans, players, staff, and the community. Vancouver will always have a special place in my heart.”
Sartini led the team to two playoff appearances in three years and change, but the Whitecaps were never able to advance past the first round. That tradition held this year, with Vancouver falling to LAFC in Round 1 after forcing a win-or-go-home Game 3.
Sartini also led Vancouver to three straight Canadian Championships, beating the field of professional soccer teams across Canada. The tournament included the three Canadian MLS teams — Vancouver, Toronto FC and CF Montréal.
The Whitecaps finished in eighth place this season after a 13-8-13 finish. Vancouver started the postseason well, demolishing the Portland Timbers 5-0 in the wild-card round.
The win was especially impressive given that it was in Portland; despite being the higher seed, Vancouver was unable to host due to a stadium conflict, with the team’s BC Place set to host a motocross event on that day. After Timbers head coach Phil Neville joked that the good luck meant that “God is a Timbers fan,” Sartini responded in kind after the game: “God can be a Timbers fan but God doesn’t exist for me.”
(Sartini’s witty remarks have gotten him in trouble before: After a contentious call changed the tide of last year’s playoffs, Sartini was suspended five games for joking that he would be a suspect if the referee was found dead.)
Sartini’s firing marks just the latest MLS coach to split with his team, even with the postseason still ongoing. Earlier this month, Philadelphia Union fired longtime head coach Jim Curtin after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, while Inter Miami coach Tata Martino chose to leave the team due to personal reasons. Atlanta United also has a head coach opening after firing Gonzalo Pineda in June.