Toronto FC Announces Perez Departure

Toronto FC has announced that Javier Perez will not be returning as the club’s head coach in 2022.

It’s been a tumultuous season for the Major League Soccer side, which saw Chris Armas deposed midseason after a disastrously short tenure and general manager Ali Curtis depart the side just yesterday.

On the pitch, the club finished well outside of playoffs and will miss Champions League action after falling to CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship. As a result, CPL side Forge FC will be the only club from Ontario in continental competition next year.

While Perez helped steady a very rocky boat during his tenure in charge – with the club even removed his interim label in August – the side is now officially set to look elsewhere for leadership next season.

We would like to thank Javier for his hard work this season. He stepped into a difficult situation and was a true professional in every regard. We wish him well in his next endeavor.

Bill Manning

Perez, a longtime assistance coach with NYCFC, first arrived in an assistant role alongside Chris Armas earlier this year, with the 44-year-old stepping into a lead role following Armas’s firing. The Valladolid-born coach now departs the side with a record of 7 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses.

Former LAFC head coach Bob Bradley has been widely reported to be a frontrunner to claim the now-vacant head coach post, with rumours sprouting well ahead of today’s announcement. Bradley’s last four seasons with LAFC saw him collect an impressive 58-34-32 record and reach the 2020 Concacaf Champions League Final.

With Justin Morrow retiring, Jozy Altidore set to depart, and a changing of the guards for both the general manager and head coach, the 2022 MLS season will mark a new era for a side which seemed at the top of the world just four years ago, but has struggled – particularly over the last two seasons – to reach comparable heights.

Earlier today, former Toronto FC club captain Jim Brennan parted ways as head coach with York United, while former TFC striker Mista appears set to leave behind his own coaching role in the CPL, too.