In a seismic shift for Major League Soccer, Sporting Kansas City and long-serving manager Peter Vermes have mutually ended their partnership following a disappointing start to the 2024 season. The decision comes after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to FC Dallas, which left the club with just a single point from their opening six matches.
Vermes' departure concludes the longest head coaching tenure in MLS history, spanning an impressive 591 matches since taking the helm in 2009. Kerry Zavagnin steps in as interim head coach with immediate effect.
"I am thankful to everyone, especially ownership, for giving me the opportunity of being a steward of this club for the past two decades," Vermes said in his farewell statement. "I wish the club nothing but the best in the future."
The 58-year-old's legacy at Sporting Kansas City is substantial, having initially joined as sporting director in November 2006 before assuming coaching responsibilities three years later. His tenure brought significant silverware to Kansas City, including the 2013 MLS Cup championship and three US Open Cup victories (2012, 2015, and 2017).
Recent performance trends have factored heavily into the decision. According to Statbet analysis, Sporting's decline has been particularly pronounced over the past four seasons, with the club missing the playoffs twice during that span and finishing a dismal 27th in last year's regular season standings.
Despite significant investment ahead of the current campaign, including nearly €10 million spent on players like Dejan Joveljic from LA Galaxy and European imports Manu García and Shapi Suleymanov from Aris Saloniki, results failed to materialize.
Vermes leaves with an overall points-per-game average of 1.49 across his tenure. Only two coaches in MLS history have overseen more matches, underlining his remarkable longevity in a league known for coaching turnover.
The departure marks the end of an era for a club whose identity has been largely shaped by Vermes' leadership. While his earlier years brought consistent success—with eight playoff appearances between 2011 and 2018 and four first-place regular season finishes—the perception had grown that both coach and club needed a fresh direction as the evolving MLS landscape left them behind.
