Charlotte FC, interim coach in negotiations for contract extension, source confirms
Charlotte FC wants its interim head coach to return.
The MLS expansion club likes interim head coach Christian Lattanzio, a league source told The Observer, and the club is currently in negotiations to bring Lattanzio back.
The news was first reported by TopBin90. The report said that the club is finalizing a three-year deal to make Lattanzio the permanent manager of the club.
Lattanzio inherited the role of interim coach after the team’s first head coach, Miguel Angel Ramirez, was fired at the end of May.
With Lattanzio at the helm, the team has notched seven wins, nine losses and one tie. His players have lauded the Italian-born coach for his work in instilling a belief in the club — a belief that has Charlotte in the MLS playoff chase thanks to back-to-back wins earlier this month with three matches to play.
When asked in August about his job security, in the middle of what would eventually be a three-match losing streak, Lattanzio emphasized that his focus was on the betterment of the club, not his own future.
“As I said, my focus is not really on my position and contract: I want to do well and then the club will decide what they think is right for the club,” Lattanzio said at the time. “I’m just a servant of the club, and I’m not focused on anything else.”
Lattanzio has quite the pedigree. The coach worked with now-Crystal Palace (Premier League) manager Patrick Vieira from 2013 to 2020. He also worked with Fabio Capello — a Champions League winner and two-time La Liga champion — when he was with the English national team, and Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 2:46 PM.
