NEWS: Atlanta United part ways with Carlos Bocanegra
Another huge domino falls in the rebuild.
Atlanta United announced today that they have parted ways with Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra, effective immediately. While the club searches for a replacement, Club President Garth Lagerwey will assume his role and responsibilities in the interim.
"We are deeply appreciative of Carlos’s dedication and success over the last nine years with Atlanta United. However, I believe it’s time for our club to move in a new direction," Lagerwey said. "While we will continue to fight for a playoff spot down the final stretch of the season, this gives us a clean slate and a runway to properly assess all vacancies in our sporting operation ahead of what will be an extremely important offseason for our club."
Bocanegra joined the Five Stripes back in March of 2015 as one of its first employees before the club even had a name. Along with then President Darren Eales, he oversaw the formation of the club’s inaugural roster and coaching staff.
This is probably the biggest domino to fall in the long line of big decisions made in the last 12 months to rebuild Atlanta United. Stay tuned to Five Stripe Final for more in-depth analysis on this huge news. In the mean time, give your thoughts below.
Who are we complaining about firing next?! Blank Out!
*Wild conspiracy theory alert* I don't typically write such things down, but I'm interested in the thoughts of others on the possibility:
The timing of the move to me is interesting. There is nothing all that special about the Wednesday after Labor Day. Why not can him immediately following the end of the transfer window, when they failed to bring in the 2nd DP they wanted? What's the difference between then and now?
To me, the biggest difference is that if he had fired Boca immediately, a number of the most vocal critics of the team would have reversed course and kept their STM. It is also after the deadline for FM to reactivate their lost status. My working theory is that Boca was kept on board until after the dust had settled and the wait list had cleared out the majority of the STM inventory to bring in new blood who are excited about the direction and potential of the team now, as opposed to lamenting, ad nauseum and however justifiably, about how the team has been ruined and they've been jerked around, etc etc.
GL could be trying to rebuild the makeup of the supporters in the stands just as much as the players on the field.