Kansas City Current and ex-USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski ‘mutually part ways'

The Kansas City Current has parted ways with former U.S. women's national team manager Vlatko Andonovski, less than a year after he moved from head coach to sporting director. The Current announced Monday that it had 'mutually parted ways' with Andonovski, who joined as head coach for the 2024 season before moving to sporting director in November last year. Advertisement Chris Armas was named as his successor on the sideline ahead of the 2026 season but the Current currently sits 7th in the 16-team NWSL, battling to be among the eight teams to qualify for the postseason. Though the Current are unbeaten in three matches, they have declined on the pitch since Andonovski moved upstairs. The 49-year-old led the side to a 65-point season, beating the record for most points in a single campaign and also setting new benchmarks for victories and the fewest goals conceded. The Current, though, were upset by Gotham FC in the first round of the playoffs and had to settle for the NWSL Shield. Andonovski, a Macedonian-American who played indoor soccer before turning to coaching, was in charge of the U.S. women's national team from 2019 to 2023, winning the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championship but reaching only the round of 16 in the 2023 Women's World Cup – the team's worst-ever finish at the competition. Andonovski and Kansas City have become synonymous in the last two decades. So much so that the former Macedonian-American sporting director calls the Midwest city home. As a player, he featured on multiple Kansas and Missouri teams in the professional indoor leagues of the early 2000s. He transitioned from player to coach of the Missouri Comets in 2010 before taking his first head coaching job in NWSL with FC Kansas City and winning the league's championships in 2014 and 2015. After a short stint with the Seattle Reign, he made his way to the U.S. women's national team job, where he coached the team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games. Andonovski retained his role despite the third-place finish, and in 2023, the U.S. women exited the World Cup in the round of 16, a disaster by the program's standards. It was an exit that had the coach questioning whether he still loved the game. Advertisement But he wouldn't stay away for long. He returned to his hometown to coach the Current at the end of 2023 and led them to a history-making NWSL Shield run in 2025. That team finished the season with a record 21 wins and 65 points, but fell short in the postseason. For his efforts, Andonovski won NWSL coach of the year. Less than a week later, he left his post as head coach to solely focus on running the club's sporting direction. KC owners Angie and Chris Long hired the Current's next head coach, Armas, after a recommendation from Canada men's national team coach Jesse Marsch, who had worked with Armas at Red Bull and Leeds United. The role was Armas' first in professional women's soccer. It was also seen as a hire made by the Longs rather than Andonovski. Though the Current have maintained success this year, sitting in seventh place and within playoff position, their 11 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses are a steep drop from last year's performance. Andonovski's exit follows that of general manager Camille Ashton in 2024 and her successor, Caitlin Carducci, the following year. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle