Bruce Arena makes final decision after administrative leave

Six weeks after being put on administrative leave by Major League Soccer, Bruce Arena resigned as coach of the New England Revolution on Saturday.

On August 1, the former USMNT head coach stepped down due to ‘insensitive and improper’ comments he reportedly made.

Neither side has disclosed the nature of the allegations, but the club has accepted the resignation of its longtime boss.

Without going into specifics, MLS just said in a statement that the investigation “confirmed certain of these allegations.” League officials have said that Arena must make a formal request to the MLS commissioner before he can take any future employment with the league.

What did New England Revolution say?

Arena started working for New England in 2019, and he has led the team for the last four years. A year after he took over as manager, the team won the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time in their history.

With the 71-year-old out for the rest of the MLS season, assistant coach Richie Williams will lead the team. On Sunday, the team issued a statement that said: ”The New England Revolution have accepted the resignation of Bruce Arena. We wish Bruce well and thank him for his contributions to the team.

“Curf Onalfo will continue to serve as interim sporting director and Richie Williams will continue to serve as interim head coach as the team prepares to close out the 2023 season. Arena joined the club May 14, 2019, compiling a 60-31-42 MLS record during his tenure as head coach.”

Why was Arena suspended?

According to The Athletic, Arena was under investigation for statements he reportedly made to his coaching staff hours before his departure was revealed. Williams had submitted complaints as part of the investigation. The Revolution published a statement in which Arena said he took the decision to leave “after much soul searching” and that he had committed “mistakes”.

“The investigation has been a hard and difficult process, for me and my family, but hearing from so many who have been part of my career truly has been gratifying and has helped make this decision easier.

“Finally, I know that I have made some mistakes and moving forward, plan to spend some time reflecting on this situation and taking corrective steps to address what has transpired. And while this has not been an easy decision, I am confident that it is in the best interest of both the New England Revolution organization and my family that we part ways at this time.”

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