By MATT PIKE
After finishing the season 7-22-5 at the bottom of the Western Conference, and with the second worst record in Major League Soccer, Sporting Kansas City is parting ways with head coach Raphael Wicky.
Wicky, who was hired in January, was 7-23-5 across all competitions in 2026. Sporting scored 40 goals, the fewest in the Western conference and second fewest in the league, and conceded 81 goals which was the most in both the Western conference and the league as a whole. Along with the dismissal of Wicky, Sporting also announced that assistant coaches Edu Rubio and Ash Wallace will not return in 2027. The search for the club’s next head coach is currently underway.
“We would like to thank Raphael for his time at Sporting KC,” President of Soccer Operations and General Manager David Lee said in a news release from the team. “The 2026 season has been challenging for many reasons, and we recognize that Rapha and his staff worked incredibly hard in difficult circumstances. After a review of the season, Rapha and I met, and I decided to make the change. We wish Rapha the best of luck in the future.”
Ahead of the 2027 season, which begins February 20th, Sporting Kansas City will announce roster decisions tomorrow. Sporting KC will kick off the team’s 14-game schedule for the 2027 MLS Sprint Season on Saturday, February 20th in Houston during MLS Is Back weekend and the team’s regular season campaign will conclude 10 weeks later on Saturday, May 1st when Sporting hosts the Portland Timbers at Sporting Park.
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