Kansas City Current have moved on from head coach Matt Potter the club announced in a release on Wednesday. The franchise said the move came due to "issues around his leadership and employment responsibilities." Assistant Coach Caroline Sjöblom has been named Interim Head Coach for the team, who are on the road in Houston for a Challenge Cup match against the Dash on Wednesday.
"We watch the play on the pitch, we keep a pulse on the locker room, and we are constantly evaluating ways to improve our club," said General Manager Camille Ashton in a club statement. "Through our ongoing process of continuous improvement, we believe now is the right time for this change."
Potter's dismissal comes after just one year with the club where the team finished fifth in the regular season and reached the 2022 NWSL Championship final. The franchise had a standout off-season, that included big free agency signings, contract extensions for players on the 2022 roster, and high first-round draft picks. The team is currently on a three-game losing streak in a three-week-old season with a -6 goal differential and in 11th place in a 12-team league table.
While details in the club release are limited, there is no direct statement that Potter's dismissal is entirely related to the poor start in 2023. The franchise is no stranger to slow starts. In 2022, the Current went winless through their first five matches of the season and still made a playoff run that concluded with a runners-up medal in the NWSL Championship. Though "leadership issues" and "employment responsibilities" may signal a disconnect between the locker room and staff, the team will now navigate their regular season without Potter.
What's next
The club has named Sjöblom as the interim head coach while the franchise begins the process for their next head coach. Sjöblom, a Finland native and former player, previously won a Finnish Cup Championship and made an appearance in the Swedish Cup. She earned her UEFA Pro Coaching license in 2018 and was named Sweden's U19 National Team head coach in 2020.
She'll be on the sidelines Wednesday night against Houston Dash as the team begins their Challenge Cup. Kansas City Current is in the Central Region Group with Houston, Chicago Red Stars, and Racing Louisville FC. The Current will return to regular season play on Sunday, April 23 against Orlando Pride at home in Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas,
