Atlanta United hire Gabriel Heinze - "A milestone moment" in our history

It was one of the worst-kept secrets in Major League Soccer. On Friday, Atlanta United have finally confirmed the hire of former Vélez Sarsfield head coach Gabriel Heinze. Heinze will formerly replace Frank de Boer, the current Dutch national team coach was fired after poor performances at the MLS is Back Tournament and after falling out with the Atlanta United dressing room. Heinze is now being charged to turn around the fortunes of a club that missed the playoffs for the first time in the club's history this season. 

"This is a milestone moment in Atlanta United history, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome Gabriel as our next head coach," club president Darren Eales said in a club statement. Demand in Heinze was indeed high as several clubs in Europe were also interested in the 42-year-old. Heinze previously averaged 1.72 points per game with Vélez leading the youngest squad in the league to a third-place finish in Argentina during the 2019/20 season.

For Heinze, however, Atlanta was the next logical step. "I believe that my football philosophy is aligned with the vision of the club and their structure and facilities are world-class," Heinze said in a club statement. It is a football philosophy that completely aligns with that set out by technical director Carlos Bocanegra. "Gabriel fits that mold and has a dynamic playing style that aligns with the identity of our club, which is what we were specifically looking for in our next head coach. We're excited to get him into Atlanta and to get to work on a promising 2021 season," Bocanegra said. 

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