ATL Standard

Atlanta United has appointed Ronny Deila as the club's new head coach. Deila, who has over 17 years of head coaching experience across various countries, has won six trophies, including four league titles and two domestic cups. The Norwegian manager returns to Major League Soccer (MLS) after previously winning the 2021 MLS Cup with New York City FC. He will be under contract with Atlanta United through the 2027 MLS season and will report to President and CEO Garth Lagerwey.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Ronny as the new head coach of Atlanta United,” said Club President and CEO Garth Lagerwey. “He has a proven track record of winning in multiple leagues around the world, including the 2021 MLS Cup with NYCFC, and his knowledge of MLS was a key factor in our search. We believe his style of play aligns with the club’s philosophy as we look to build a team that will compete for trophies consistently.”

Deila began his coaching career at Strømsgodset in Norway's first division in January 2008, managing 206 matches until 2014. He led Strømsgodset to win the Norwegian Cup in 2010 and secured their first league title in 43 years in 2013.

In June 2014, Deila became manager at Celtic in Scotland's Premiership. During his tenure, he won the Scottish League Cup in March 2015 by defeating Dundee United and achieved consecutive league titles for Celtic in both seasons he managed there.

“I want to thank Arthur M. Blank and Garth Lagerwey for this opportunity and couldn't be more excited to join Atlanta United,” Deila stated. “This is a club with great ownership, excellent facilities and the ambition to succeed and continue to drive the league forward. I’m happy to return to MLS, a competitive league that I enjoy, and I’m eager to arrive and get to work with our group of players.”

After returning briefly to Norway as head coach of Vålerenga from 2016-2020, Deila moved back into MLS with New York City FC on January 6, 2020. Under his leadership, NYCFC finished fourth in their conference before winning the MLS Cup against Portland Timbers.

The experienced coach later joined Standard Liege in Belgium on July 1, 2022, leading them to sixth place before moving on to Club Brugge where he posted notable results before being dismissed earlier this year. Most recently, he coached Al-Wahda in UAE Pro League.

Before transitioning into coaching roles full-time, Deila had an extensive playing career primarily based in Norway where he made significant contributions at clubs like Odd.