ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City SC and coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to mutually part ways, and assistant coach Martin Perelman has been named interim head coach, the club announced Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja is leaving the organization
The move, which the team described as mutual, followed an 0-3 start to the season
Assistant coach Martin Perelman will take over as interim head coach
Orlando City SC founder Kay Rawlins also announced in a letter that she is retiring as senior vice president and community ambassador
The move comes after the team started the 2026 Major League Soccer season 0-3, including a 5-0 loss to New York City FC on Saturday that left them in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Pareja took over as the Lions’ coach on Dec. 4, 2019, and has guided the club to six consecutive trips to the playoffs, the longest streak in Major League Soccer. Under Pareja, Orlando City won its first trophy, capturing the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and went to the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament final. His record as the Lions’ coach was 103 wins, 72 losses and 66 draws across all competitions.
But the club lost its two games of the regular season in 2025 and was knocked out in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira credited Pareja with helping establish the competitive foundation that helped make the Lions successful, but he and Pareja said it was time for a change.
“We believe this is the right moment to take the club in a new direction as we look to the next phase of our growth and ambitions,” Moreira said. “We are grateful for everything Oscar has contributed and wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”
Management overhauled the roster in the offseason and set expectations high before the start of the season. Pareja and some players had said they were under pressure to get off to a good start and return to the playoffs again this season.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the club’s players, staff and supporters for the trust they’ve given me over these last several years,” Pareja said. “Together, we shared moments that will stay with me forever. While it is the right time for both me and the club to move in new directions, I leave proud of the work we did and with deep appreciation for the people who made it possible. Orlando will always have a special place in my heart, and I wish the team nothing but success in the future.”
Assistant coach Diego Torres, who joined the Lions’ staff before the 2020 season after more than a decade with Club Tijuana in LIGA MX of Mexico, also is leaving the organization.
Perelman has been with Orlando City’s organization since 2022, when he became head coach of Orlando City B before the MLS NEXT Pro season and led that club to its first playoffs berth in 2023.
After that success, he was promoted to the Orlando City First Team staff.
Orlando City’s next game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Montreal at Inter&Co Stadium.
In addition to Pareja’s departure, Orlando City SC Pride founder Kay Rawlins announced in a letter to fans that she is retiring after 15 years.
“What began as a dream filled with hope, risk, and belief has grown into something far bigger than any of us could have predicted. And because of that, stepping away comes with a heart full of gratitude and emotion,” Rawlins wrote.
Rawlins, who has been senior vice president and community ambassador, and her husband at the time, Phil Rawlins, founded Orlando City in 2010 as a USL Pro minor league team. Orlando City SC joined MLS in 2015, and the Pride joined the National Women’s Soccer League in 2016.
“I’ve been honored to work alongside extraordinary people, including my two sons in the early years,” she wrote. “Those are memories I will carry forever. I am grateful to the Wilf family (owners) for their stewardship and the leadership they’ve brought — our teams are in very good hands. And I am endlessly thankful for every colleague, player, supporter, and friend who helped shape this journey.”