Former New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena has now been out of an MLS job for nine months. His bizarre dismissal from the MLS side came at a time when the side was doing well in the league at 40 points through 23 MLS games. The New England Revolution had just started the inaugural Leagues Cup campaign, and Bruce Arena guided the side to the knockout stages of the MLS-Liga MX competition.
However, Major League Soccer suddenly suspended Bruce Arena because of allegations surrounding “inappropriate and insensitive remarks.” Much of that information has not been made available to the public, meaning few know what sparked the controversy and Arena’s eventual suspension from Major League Soccer. One MLS Season Pass analyst claimed he made a racial slur toward someone in the New England Revolution, but that was never confirmed.
Arena was able to coach again in December when Major League Soccer cleared him. However, other reports indicated he was not allowed to return to MLS until April after the season had already started. Arena attributes that to miscommunication within the league about his status. Since then, he has been working to get back into coaching. Yet, the opportunities have not been available.
“I did talk to a couple of teams, and I think some information was not communicated properly. We’ll leave it at that,” Arena said on Kickin It on CBS and Paramount+.
Bruce Arena career tarnished by allegations and lack of an MLS job
Bruce Arena has been one of the most recognizable American soccer coaches for an extended period of time. With the national team, he has a mixed bag. He admits that he failed as the United States missed qualification for the 2018 World Cup. The loss to Trinidad and Tobago on the last day of qualifying prevented the United States from competing. Yet, before then, he led the USMNT to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. Additionally, the United States qualified for the 2006 World Cup, but that remains a disappointing finish at the bottom of their group.
Arena stood out in Major League Soccer. With five MLS Cup titles, Arena has dominated in domestic soccer. That started with two MLS Cup wins in his first two years as the coach of DC United. After his time with the United States, he took over at the LA Galaxy, where three more MLS Cups followed. Only six coaches have multiple MLS Cups to their name, and Arena has three more than anyone else.
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He was on pace to continue his success with the New England Revolution. In his first full season with the New England Revolution, he reached the MLS Cup semifinals. In 2021, the Revs put together the best regular season in MLS history with 73 points. Two years later, the club moved on after the fiasco.
“I’m really proud of what I did there. The progress we made on and off the field during my tenure there was really very good.”
Therefore, it is not surprising to hear his disappointment in how that tenure ended.
“If that’s the ending [of my career], that’s a slap in the face.”
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