April 1 – The longest-serving manager in Major League Soccer (MLS), Peter Vermes (pictured), has mutually agreed to part ways with Sporting Kansas City (SKC).
Vermes, 58, who has been SKC head coach for almost 16 years, led the club to four major championships and 11 play-off appearances, including eight in a row between 2011 and 2018.
“It would be hard to list all of the people I want to thank after 20 seasons in managerial positions at Sporting Kansas City,” Vermes said.
“I am thankful to everyone, especially the ownership, for giving me the opportunity of being a steward of this club for the past two decades. I wish the club nothing but the best in the future.”
Vermes made 78 appearances for the club when they were known as the Wizards, from 2000 and 2002, and then became their sporting director in 2006 before taking up the head coaching role in 2009.
In 2012 Vermes won his first major trophy, landing the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, following up with the MLS Cup in 2013. He went on to win two more U.S. Open Cups.
However, the last few seasons have seen SKC amongst the league’s cellar dwellers, with this campaign reaching a new low. Currently, they are dead last in MLS, which has led to the change in coaching.
Taking over from Vermes will be Kerry Zavagnin, who played 208 times for the Wizards during the 2000s.
Zavagnin, 50 has been the assistant to Vermes and now becomes the interim manager, effective immediately.
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