After losing the Amway Canadian Championship final on Wednesday and then dropping a high-profile rivalry match against Toronto FC on Saturday, the Montreal Impact have decided to make a coaching change.
In the wee hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning the club announced that Frank Klopas would be replaced as head coach by 43-year-old assistant Mauro Biello, who was named interim head coach. Klopas is the first manager to be replaced in MLS this season.
Klopas, who previously coached the Chicago Fire over three seasons (2011-2013), took over the Impact ahead of the 2014 season and the team went on to finish with the league's worst record at 6-18-10 (28 points), but they did come away with the Amway Canadian Championship title in a dramatic finale against Toronto and in the process claimed a ticket to the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League.
This year started with a thrilling run to the final of that CCL tournament, where the Impact would lose a heartbreaker against Club America.
The club recovered from the CCL disappointment to become a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, but three straight league losses, including Saturday's setback in Toronto, have seen the Impact fall below the playoff red line by a single point (8-11-4, 28pts).
The Impact have matches in hand compared to most of their playoff competitors and they also have star forward Didier Drogba waiting in the wings for the final stretch. The World Cup veteran sat out Wednesday night's Canadian Championship second leg and Saturday's regular season match against Toronto due to a toe injury.
The first match in charge for Biello, who played 16 seasons in an Impact uniform, will be next Saturday's home game against the Chicago Fire (8 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
