NYCFC fires coach Pascal Jansen after missing the playoffs, with Etihad Park opening in July

New York City FC has fired head coach Pascal Jansen. The club announced the decision Sunday morning, Nov. 8, less than 24 hours after a 1-0 win over D.C. United closed out a season in which NYCFC missed the playoffs.

NYCFC finished 11th in the Eastern Conference with 42 points, missing the MLS Cup Playoffs for just the third time in club history, MLSsoccer.com reported. The team was already out of playoff contention before its Decision Day match.

What the club said

"This decision follows a thorough review of the season and reflects our ambition as an organization," sporting director Todd Dunivant said in the club's announcement. He said the search for the next head coach "begins immediately" as the club prepares for the 2027 Sprint Season and the opening of Etihad Park.

CEO Brad Sims acknowledged "the disappointment of missing the playoffs" and thanked fans, adding that the club's goal of "bringing more trophies to New York City remains unchanged."

A source told the New York Post that the decision came down to the failure to make the playoffs after a disappointing season, and that Jansen was told Sunday morning.

How the season slipped

• Year one: Jansen arrived in January 2025, replacing Nick Cushing, after stints at Hungary's Ferencváros and the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. NYCFC finished fifth in the East and reached the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, where it lost 5-1 to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, amNewYork reported.
• Year two: after the World Cup break, NYCFC went 5-8-6 (wins, draws, losses) and slid from eighth to 11th, according to the Post. The team gave up 25 points from blown leads this season, and finished below the Red Bulls for the first time since 2023, the NYCFC fan site Waking The Red noted.
• Not alone: NYCFC is the ninth MLS club to change coaches this season and the first since Decision Day, Waking The Red reported.

Why the next hire matters

The new coach will lead NYCFC into Etihad Park, its 25,000-seat stadium across from Citi Field in Queens, which is scheduled to open July 17, 2027. Since its founding, the club has played mostly at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

The club has not said what profile it wants. amNewYork reported that NYCFC had been linked to U.S. star Christian Pulisic, who instead extended his contract with AC Milan through 2031, and that Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku's name has also come up in rumors.