Vancouver Whitecaps part ways with head coach Vanni Sartini

The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced that they have parted ways with head coach Vanni Sartini after three seasons. The team made the announcement on Monday, two weeks after their postseason came to an end.

Sartini has been a member of the Whitecaps organization since 2019, starting as an assistant coach. He was promoted to head coach in November 2021.

Under Sartini's leadership, the Whitecaps advanced to the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, and forced a Game 3 against LAFC before their postseason ended in 2024.

The Whitecaps also won three straight Canadian Championships under Sartini, beating the field of professional soccer teams across Canada.

In a statement, Sartini and Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster both expressed their gratitude for one another.

“I took my time with this decision, and it was not taken lightly,” Schuster said in the statement. “We have taken important steps each year and it is now the right time for someone else to lead this group on the pitch with fresh and new energy.”

“I will always be grateful to Axel Schuster and ownership for entrusting me to be the technical lead of this club in such an important time,” Sartini added in the statement. “I will also always remember with fondness the successes on the field, but what I will cherish the most is the memories of my relationship with the fans, players, staff, and the community. Vancouver will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Whitecaps finished in eighth place this season after a 13-8-13 finish. Vancouver started the postseason well, demolishing the Portland Timbers 5-0 in the wild-card round.

The win was especially impressive given that it was in Portland; despite being the higher seed, Vancouver was unable to host due to a stadium conflict, with the team's BC Place set to host a motocross event on that day. After Timbers head coach Phil Neville joked that the good luck meant that “God is a Timbers fan,” Sartini responded in kind after the game: “God can be a Timbers fan but God doesn't exist for me.”

Sartini's firing marks just the latest MLS coach to split with his team, even with the postseason still ongoing. Earlier this month, Philadelphia Union fired longtime head coach Jim Curtin after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, while Inter Miami coach Tata Martino chose to leave the team due to personal reasons. Atlanta United also has a head coach opening after firing Gonzalo Pineda in June.