Ronny leaves New York with gold Standard
FORMER Celtic manager Ronny Deila has quit as New York City FC head coach to take charge at Standard Liege.
Deila guided the American club to their first MLS Cup championship last season.
And he also enjoyed success at Parkhead, winning two league titles and a League Cup during his tenure in the east end of Glasgow.
The 46-year-old went back to his native Norway after leaving the Hoops in 2016 to manage Valerenga before pitching up at New York four years later.
Now he has decided to head to Belgium and Deila said: “This was certainly not an easy decision for me and my family.
“However, I feel this is the right time to take on this new challenge and return to Europe.
“Thank you to the fans, the passion you have for the club has fuelled us on the field, and we couldn’t have accomplished what we did last season without your support.”
New York City sporting director David Lee said: “Everyone at the club would like to thank Ronny for the fantastic job he has done here.
“With Ronny at the helm, we have developed an even stronger culture of winning and togetherness and have accomplished our No.1 goal of bringing silverware to this club, this city and our fans.
“We know this was not a decision Ronny took lightly but we understand his desire to return to Europe and be much closer to home.
“He has been a true leader since joining the club and we wish him well for the next challenge in his career.” In just over two seasons at the helm in New York, Deila compiled a record of 46 wins, 29 defeats and 15 draws across all competitions.
Assistant coach Efrain Juarez has also left the club to join him in the dugout at Standard Liege.
The MLS club have moved to name assistant coach Nick Cushing as interim gaffer.
Cushing and assistants Rob Vartughian and Mehdi Ballouchy agreed to new long-term contracts.
Cushing, 37, joined NYCFC in January 2020 after coaching the Manchester City women’s side from 2013-20.
He won six trophies during his tenure in England, including the 2016 Super League title.
Cushing takes over a team that currently sits top of the MLS Eastern Conference table with eight wins from 13 games.
The Englishman said: “We have an incredible team here at NYCFC and it’s a great group of players to work with.”