Vlatko Andonovski, the former head coach of the United States women’s national team (USWNT), has joined the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)’s Kansas City Current as their new head coach. This news has been reported by multiple sources including The Washington Post.
Andonovski, who is 47 years old and resides in the greater Kansas City area, will become the permanent manager of the Kansas City Current after the firing of Matt Potter on April 19. The Current finished this season with a record of 8-12-2 and ended up in 11th place out of 12 teams in the league.
Caroline Sjoblom served as the team’s interim coach during a challenging season that was vastly different from the successful previous year. The Current went from making it to the NWSL final and losing to the Portland Thorns 2-0 to not even qualifying for the playoffs.
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Andonovski has previously achieved success in Kansas City, winning NWSL titles as the coach of the now-defunct FC Kansas City in 2014 and 2015. After relocating to Utah for three seasons, the team returned to Kansas City in 2021 with its current name. Andonovski also had coaching stints with the Seattle-based Reign FC (now known as the OL Reign) and was named Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2019.
This appointment with the Kansas City Current marks Andonovski’s first position since stepping down as the manager of the USWNT in August following their round-of-16 exit at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The team’s loss on penalties to Sweden resulted in their worst finish in a major tournament.
Andonovski took charge of the USWNT in October 2019, succeeding Jill Ellis. During his tenure, the team had a record of 51 wins, 5 losses, and 9 draws, which included winning the World Cup in consecutive years. However, his performance in major tournaments was less successful, with a record of 3 wins, 2 losses, and 5 draws.
With the support of prominent owners like Chris and Angie Long, as well as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany, who became investors in 2021, Andonovski will have the backing needed to lead the Kansas City Current. The team already has a $15 million training center, which opened in June 2022, and a new stadium worth $120 million is set to open in 2024.
