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FC Cincinnati announced Monday that head coach Jaap Stam has been relieved of his duties along with assistant coaches Said Bakkati and Yoann Damet.

The moves are effective immediately, with Tyrone Marshall taking over as interim head coach.



FC Cincinnati (4-13-8) are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference, with their 20 points ahead of only Toronto among the 27 teams in Major League Soccer.

Stam, a former defender for Manchester United, was hired as FC Cincinnati’s fourth coach in May of 2020. He replaced Ron Jans, who was hired after Alan Koch was fired and replaced by Damet on an interim basis.

‘Change Was Necessary’

“During our nearly two-month process to identify the next General Manager for FC Cincinnati, it was apparent that a Head Coach change was necessary,” FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding said in a statement Monday. “Therefore, after a great deal of deliberation, the club has made the decision to now move to the future with Jaap no longer serving as Head Coach.

“We believe a change in leadership is in the best interest of the club at this time, and a new General Manager will lead the search for a new Head Coach. We are an ambitious club, and we remain focused on achieving our goals, the first of which is making Cincinnati a championship city. We thank Jaap for everything he has done for FC Cincinnati during his time here, and we wish him the best as he can now head home to be with his family.”

Before joining FC Cincinnati, Stam served as the head coach of Feyenoord in the Netherlands for less than a full season before resigning. He has also coached Ajax’s reserve team and PEC Zwolle, both in his native Netherlands, along with Reading in England’s second division.

Marshall is currently the head coach of FC Cincinnati’s U-19 and future U-23 teams.

“Tyrone has been a valuable addition to our coaching staff since he arrived earlier this year with plan to be the future coach of our MLS2 team,” said Berding. “He has shown his coaching ability and leadership qualities, and he is the right person to inject new energy into the locker room and help our squad finish 2021 strong with an eye to the future.”

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)