Vancouver Whitecaps drop head coach Vanni Sartini

Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini paces the sideline during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Houston Dynamo, in Vancouver, on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini.

Whitecaps FC CEO Axel Schuster made the surprise announcement Monday morning, thanking Sartini for his leadership over the years.

Sartini joined the team as assistant coach in 2019 before ascending to head coach in 2021.

“Vann gave his all to this club and city,” Schuster said, in a statement. “He embraced everything with passion and enjoyed tremendous success along the way.”

Sartini’s departure follows another frustrating end to another Major League Soccer season for Whitecaps fans. For the second year in a row, the team was eliminated by Los Angeles FC in the first round of the playoffs.

In a statement, Sartini said it had been an “absolute honour” to lead the team.

“What I will cherish the most is the memories of my relationship with the fans, players, staff, and the community,” he said. “Vancouver will always have a special place in my heart and my wife’s heart. Andiamo!”

He helped the team qualify for the MLS playoffs in three of his four seasons as head coach, and won three consecutive Telus Canadian Championships.

Sartini posted an MLS regular season record of 44W-40L-32D, and an overall record of 57W-51L-39D across all competitions, according to the team.

The decision to part ways with the head coach was “not taken lightly,” Schuster said.

“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,” Schuster added.

The process of finding the next Whitecaps coach is already underway.