New York City FC head coach Pascal Jansen has departed the club after a roller coaster second season that saw the club finish outside of the playoff bubble for only the third time in history. This season was particularly difficult as Jansen struggled to get his team to finish off games. They gave away a record number of points late in contests, costing them valuable points and seeing them in a state of uncertainty heading into 2027.
“The main focus will be prepping ourselves the best way we can for the strongest Sprint Season in 2027,” said Jansen mere hours before leaving the club. “We’re going into an off-season, which is unusual for me, and I think a couple of the players as well, to be off for so many weeks.”
NYC will not have a competitive game until that Sprint Season starts in February and won’t have meaningful friendlies until the Coachella Valley Invitational. During that time, many of the players, and now coaching staff, will change significantly. The likelihood of Keaton Parks, Thiago Martins and others returning are in question. The club will also be looking at rebuilding quickly to have their best team ready for the opening of Etihad Park in July.
Before they can get there, a review of 2026 will be necessary. The club entered the year with high-hopes given the way they ended with a trip to the Eastern Conference Final. The second half collapse against Inter Miami foreshadowed what was to come in 2026 as the team failed to close out key games against lower opposition, costing them a trip to the playoffs this year. Their failure to qualify also sees them depart the Leagues Cup with just the US Open Cup acting as the club’s only external competition.
“It’s quite clear this year was not up to our standards,” said goalkeeper Matt Freese. “This is a big club and not making the playoffs is flat-out unacceptable from our own standpoint and for the fans. We have higher expectations than simply just making the playoffs. This is a top-four team or it should be and we all know that.”
Who could take over for Jansen is a matter of speculation. Theories have ranged from long-time bench coach Medhi Ballouchy to Manchester City superstar coach Pep Guardiola. Others have also emerged as potential candidates, including Marc Dos Santos.
photo by Jordan Bank