Sporting KC agrees to separate with the Manager Peter Vermes

Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club had mutually agreed to separate from the Manager Peter Vermes, ending its race in charge of trophy as the oldest chief coach in the major football league and one of the longest directors in world football.

Kerry Zavagnin was appointed temporary coach of Sporting, with immediate effect.

“It would be difficult to list all the people I want to thank after 20 seasons in management positions in Sporting Kansas City,” said Vermes. “I am grateful to everyone, in particular the property of having given me the opportunity to be a steward of this club in the past two decades. I only wish the club the best in the future. ”

Vermes became Technical Director of Sporting in November 2006 and assumed the functions of head coach in 2009, building a winning culture and orchestrating one of the greatest reversals in MLS history. Sporting prospered in a competitor of the perennial championship and an MLS MLS organization under the visionary stewardship of Vermes.

In addition to raising the MLS Cup 2013 and the titles of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 2012, 2015 and 2017, Vermes guided the club to 11 appearances in the playoffs, including eight directly from 2011 to 2018 – and four first places in the regular season. He remains the only person to win the MLS CUP as a player and coach with the same team, after driving Kansas City to the title 2000 as a central defender outside the competition, and his three open cup championships were the most active coaches of the MLS entering in 2025.

Vermes led 609 games for sport in all competitions, more than half of the club’s 30 -year existence and never ever made for a manager in an MLS club. Its 511 regular seasonal games are third of all time and its 17-season race at the head of Sporting was at least seven seasons more than any other active head coach of the MLS.

Inducted at the temple of renown of American football in 2013, Vermes was appointed the first MLS of MLS sports framework in early 2019 for its exemplary leadership, its dedication and its strategic vision to guide sport towards long -term success. Under his direction, Sporting experienced remarkable growth through his business with the openings of the Mercy Park in the world class in 2011 and the national country of mineral performance at Pointe de la Pointe de la Pointe. As a host city of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The historic race of Vermes while the Kansas City head coach began on August 4, 2009, punctuating the start of a winning era while the club renamed KC Sporting and moved into the Mercy Parc de Children before the 2011 season. He guided Sporting to the first place of the Eastern Conference in 2011 and 2012, including a regular 63-year-round season. Sporting has captured the US Open Cup – the first club trophy since 2004 – with a home victory on Seattle Sounders FC on penalty kicks.

Sporting reached more heights in 2013, winning the second MLS Cup of the club with an iconic penalty shootout victory over Real Salt Lake in Children’s Mercy Park. Vermes also trained the MLS ALL-STARS during the MLS 2013 star match at the same stadium, two weeks before its selection at the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Vermes propelled Sporting to an eight consecutive appearance club in the eliminatory series from 2011 to 2018 and won two other open cups during this period-a victory in penalties at the Philadelphia Union in 2015 and a triumph at home 2-1 on the New York Red Bulls in 2017. In 2020, Vermes was instrumental to help the conference on the Conference For the second time in three seasons. Its four conferences in first place since 2011 are more than any other manager of the MLS. Sporting remained a force in the West in 2021, finishing less than three points from first place and sealing a 10th place in 11 -seasons qualifiers.

Sporting overcome a slow start to the 2023 campaign by making a 12-7-5 scenario in the last 24 games of the club’s regular season to reach the playoffs. After having eliminated the earthquakes of San Jose in the round of the Western Conference Jokers, Sporting only became the second seeded n ° 8 to beat a seeded n ° 1 in the MLS Cup eliminations series by sweeping away the home victory of St. Louis City with a categorical victory on Route 4-1 in match 1 and a victory at Euphoric 2-1 in six years.

The 2024 campaign saw Vermes lead its team to the Open US Cup final, where Sporting fell in addition to LaFC to break the series of four victories in the club’s cup final.

Originally from the canton of Delran, New Jersey, Vermes had an exceptional player career from 1988 to 2002. He notably obtained 67 selections for the United States Male Male team, representing his country at the 1988 Olympic Summer Games in South Korea and in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, while presenting a unique ability to play in attack, in the midfield and in the midfield. He was the first American player to participate in the main divisions of Hungary (1989) and the Netherlands (1990), then spent four seasons in the Spanish second division (1991-1995) before returning to the United States for the 1996 inaugural campaign of Major League Soccer.

Vermes started 208 of the 209 mLS in seven seasons, recording 11 goals and 19 assists while reaching the playoffs each year. He joined Kansas City before the 2000 historical season of the club, winning the double of the Shield and the MLS Cup of supporters while winning MLS ALL-STAR, BEST XI and Defender of the Year. He ended his player career after the 2002 campaign, his third with Kansas City, and was involved in a record of 681 mLS as a player or head coach.

Like Vermes, Zavagnin was inducted from Sporting Legends Hall of Honor as one of the club’s most accomplished leaders. He played 291 appearances for Kansas City as a player from 2000 to 2008 – winning MLS Best XI and All -Star Head Hochements in 2004 – and was assistant to the club since 2009. As a club member for 26 consecutive seasons, he holds the MLS record during most seasons with a club as a player or coach.