Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amoros stepping away for seven-week parental leave with team in middle of season
Gotham FC has a lot of good things going.But just as it is hitting its stride, the club will temporarily lose its head coach.Juan Carlos Amorós is stepping away for seven weeks for parental leave following the birth of his family’s second child, the club announced Monday.Amorós said he’s “incredibly grateful” for Gotham’s unconditional support of him taking a midseason leave of absence.“This is a personal decision for our family, but I also recognize the visibility that comes with my role,” Amorós, whose child was born in April, said in a statement.“When fathers take parental leave, particularly men in leadership positions, it helps normalize an important principle: Caring for children is a shared responsibility between parents.
I need to be there for my family.”Lead assistant Shaun Harris will serve as acting head coach in Amorós’ absence.He’s served as acting head coach for three matches this season, leading the team to wins at Chicago and Seattle.
He takes over for Amorós starting Friday against the Portland Thorns.Meanwhile, former North Carolina coach and current Gotham consultant Sean Nahas will take on a larger role as the club’s interim director of methodology.“We are proud to be a club that recognizes that creating an equitable environment requires supporting all parents,” Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said.“We appreciate that Juan is using his platform to reinforce that message.
We have great confidence in Shaun and our entire technical staff to continue leading the team during this period.”The temporary changes come as the club has found a groove.Global superstar Sam Kerr is back.
Gotham broke team attendance records while picking up a marquee win against the Washington Spirit in the inaugural Queens Classic at Citi Field last week and followed that with a thrilling comeback against the Seattle Reign on Saturday.After winning four of its past five, Gotham is level with the Spirit for firs...