Gabriel Heinze, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender, has been appointed head coach of Atlanta United.
Heinze, who most recently coached Argentinian side Velez Sarsfield to third place in the Primera Division, signed a two-year contract with Atlanta. He becomes the third coach in the team's short history, after Gerardo "Tata" Martino and Frank de Boer.
"We cast the net widely for this important hire, and Gabriel quickly emerged as the No. 1 candidate," club president Darren Eales said in a statement. "Gabriel is one of the top coaches in South American soccer and we are delighted that he chose Atlanta United.
"Whilst his resume speaks for itself, Gabriel's playing philosophy and commitment to youth development closely align with our ideas at Atlanta United, and we are happy to welcome him as we move into our club's next chapter."
Heinze began his coaching career in 2014 with Godoy Cruz, then dropped down to Argentina's second tier to manage Argentinos Juniors. The 42-year-old led them to promotion over the 2016-17 season and later moved to Velez Sarsfield, where he established himself as one of the country's finest coaches. Despite having a relatively young squad, Heinze secured back-to-back finishes in the top half of the table over the last two seasons.
"I'm excited to be taking on this new challenge with Atlanta United," Heinze added. "I believe that my football philosophy is aligned with the vision of the club, and their structure and facilities are world-class. I can't wait to meet the players, the staff, and the fans and get to work in 2021."
Atlanta, which missed the playoffs in 2020, fired De Boer after going winless in the MLS is Back Tournament. Without star striker Josef Martinez, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in March, the team finished with a 6-13-4 record and a -7 goal differential.