Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini.
Whitecaps FC CEO Axel Schuster made the surprise announcement Monday morning, thanking Sartini for his leadership over the years.
Sartini joined the team as assistant coach in 2019 before ascending to head coach in 2021.
“Vann gave his all to this club and city,” Schuster said, in a statement. “He embraced everything with passion and enjoyed tremendous success along the way.”
Sartini’s departure follows another frustrating end to another Major League Soccer season for Whitecaps fans. For the second year in a row, the team was eliminated by Los Angeles FC in the first round of the playoffs.
In a statement, Sartini said it had been an “absolute honour” to lead the team.
“What I will cherish the most is the memories of my relationship with the fans, players, …