Whitecaps Release Vanni – Who’s Next?

It wasn’t the best way for Vanni Sartini to start the week with an official announcement from the Whitecaps was sent out earlier in the day.

Say what you will if you ask some of the sporting fans in the lower mainland they all have the same mind-set saying that he (Vanni) is one of the most popular coaches in the lower mainland as far as pro sport goes.

The fans love his “regular guy” style that he brought to the team rather than as one mentioned “he’s not the regular stuffed-shirt coach that follows and does that the team tells him” with another saying “he’s a working guy that the public can relate with”.

Truth be known both of the above statements are exact and true and it’s ironic that this wasn’t only from some of the male supporters but also many of the female followers given his at times “comic” style.

Making it known that they have released him from his contract and are searching for his replacement there are several variables to ponder.

First knowing why they released him and we can speculate that the reason was not advancing to the league final championship match and secondarily pondering if there was internal friction between him and ownership.

Truth be known we’ll probably never really know which the faithful supporters and the public has every right to know, but we’re sure that the team will “tap-dance” around the real reason which is wrong by every stretch.

They finished the Western Conference season in eighth posting an overall record of 13-13-8 but did manage to win a play-in round in Portland then advancing to play the conference winner Los Angeles FC in a best-of-three series.

Prior to this it’s fair to know that they defeated Toronto FC 4-2 on penalty after a nil-nil tie winning their third consecutive Canadian Championship.

Whitecaps Sporting Director and executive officer Alex Schuster sent a press release stating “We have taken important steps each year and now the time is right for someone else to lead this group on the pitch with fresh and new energy”

Sartini (47) sent out a press release saying “For the last three years and three months it’s been an absolute honour to be the head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps and I will always be grateful to Alex Schuster and ownership for entrusting me to be the technical lead of this club in such an important time”.

Sartini was first introduced to the team in 2019 working as the assistant coach with Dos Santos for two seasons and when Dos Santos was let go he took over on an interim basis August 2021 becoming the head coach in November and went on to post a record of 57-51-39 in all matches during his tenure in Vancouver.

While I am one that doesn’t like anyone who publicly criticizes officials which he did following a playoff game in  November 2023 by “so-called” joking about him being a suspect if he (the referee) was found dead.

For this comment he was suspended for the first six games of the 2024 season and fined $20,000 US and ordered to not just take but completa a league behavioural assessment which would be approved by the league.

The suspension from the league albeit six games does nothing to deter any abuse from other coaches, players and/or management.

Prior to coming to Vancouver he was a coach educator for the Italian Football Federation as well as the US Soccer Federation as well as coaching other clubs in Italy.

In addition it’s important to know that he had more playoff wins and Canadian Championship wins and trophies that any other coach in the history of the Caps,

The topic has been anything but quiet with supporters and one comment that stood out in our conversation was “I’m hoping that they don’t stoop to a lower lever and hire Bev Priestman who was at the front of the controversy surrounding Canada’s Drone Scandal at the Olympics this past summer.

That alone remains to be only one comment and knowing that it’s interesting to wonder if the Whitecaps will stay within their current coaching staff or will they look elsewhere?

Either way it’s going to be an interesting off-season for the Vancouver Whitecaps!!