Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images
March 11, 2026 4:58 pm EDT
Orlando City parted ways with manager Óscar Pareja on Wednesday, acting swiftly after a putrid beginning to the MLS season.
Pareja, who had been in charge since 2019 and made the playoffs in each of his six seasons, was the casualty of an 0-3-0 start in which the Lions have a league worst -8 goal differential. Assistant coach Martín Perelman will take charge in the interim after what the club called a mutual decision. Pareja is the first coaching dismissal of 2026 after there were 10 changes and/or interim hirings becoming permanent across MLS – a third of the league – before this season. Pareja, who won a Supporters’ Shield/U.S. Open Cup double with FC Dallas in 2016, had been the second-longest tenured head coach in MLS behind Seattle’s Brian Schmetzer.
“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, who also guided the club to the 2022 Open Cup title, said in a statement. “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.”
It’s unclear what, if anything, the managerial change means for the club’s pursuit of France and Atlético Madrid star Antoine Griezmann, who indicated this week that he’s likely to remain with his Spanish side beyond the MLS transfer deadline (March 26) and until the summer, before taking another decision on his club career. Atlético Madrid remains alive in the UEFA Champions League (leading Tottenham 5-2 on aggregate after the first leg of the round of 16) and will play in the Copa del Rey final (against Real Sociedad, Griezmann’s first professional club, which is now coached by American Pellegrino Matarazzo).
Orlando, meanwhile, moves forward this week, when it hosts CF Montréal Saturday night.
“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,” Orlando sporting director and general manager Ricardo Moreira said. “We are grateful for everything Óscar has contributed and wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”
Mar 12, 2026
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