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CHICAGO -- While the Chicago Stars moved on from former manager Lorne Donaldson on Wednesday due to the underwhelming performances this season, when his full replacement arrives is anyone's guess. 

Stars general manager Richard Feuz addressed the media on Thursday and explained the decision to move on from the former Jamaica head coach, who was relieved of his duties just six weeks into the 2025 season. The Stars only managed one win in six matches and are in last place in the league table, a disappointing start for the club after Donaldson managed the team to an eighth-place finish and return to the playoffs in 2024. 

The general manager was thankful for Donaldson's contributions but also cited a lack of on-field progression to start the season.

A decision rooted in performance

Donaldson, who was brought in to stabilize the club during its rebuild, helped instill a positive culture and confidence in the locker room, according to Feuz and other club sources. However, the team's recent struggles—including nine losses in their last ten matches dating back to 2024—prompted the front office to make a change.

The general manager noted that Donaldson brought joy and energy to this club, but also emphasized that pro soccer is also about performance, and referenced that data showed the club wasn't progressing enough in key areas like possession and control.

The Stars have scored just three goals in six games this season, a statistic that underscores the team's offensive struggles. Feuz admitted that injuries, including the excused absence of Mallory Swanson -- the club's leading goal scorer-- played a role, but insisted the roster was capable of more.

"We expected more progression on our team, on the way to play, on the way to control the game, on the way to be more proactive on the ball," he said.

Interim leadership and coaching search

The general manager did not commit to a timeline when discussing the coaching search, indicating that the club wants to take the time to find the right candidate and reaffirmed his commitment to the remaining coaching staff and the current roster. He stated the club will evaluate how the team responds in the coming weeks before taking specific directions in their search.

In the meantime, assistant coach Masaki Hemmi has been named interim coach while the club begins its search for a permanent replacement, and Feuz also praised Hemmi's leadership and communication skills, calling him a trusted figure in the locker room.

When asked about the qualities the club is seeking in its next head coach, Feuz emphasized character and a clear playing identity.

"In the future, we're going to look at, first of all, bringing a tremendous human being ... I think that would be the first priority of this club. Obviously, having someone [with] shared values, not only on the pitch, but also off the pitch, of this club, and their ambition," Feuz said on traits he'll look for in the next Stars coach.

"Part of it will also be the playing style and the identity that we're going to give to this team, not only in the next couple of months, but in the next couple of years, because we want to build something with identity. We want to build something that when people will see our team playing, they're going to they're going to be able to say, 'Okay, that's the Stars playing, because we have a strong identity on the pitch.'"

A rebuild reality check

Despite the coaching change, Feuz isn't conceding the season, standing by his roster-building choices, and believes that the club can compete for a playoff spot. This is year two for the new Stars ownership and year two for the general manager, and he echoed the club's longer-term vision.

"Obviously, with time in the mid and long term, we want to be sustainable. We want to build through stability and cohesion, but we also want to see progress on the pitch, and we want the best standard every single day at training in order to make sure we can also follow and build the methodology in principle we want for this team in the next couple of months and years," Feuz said.

"We all have to take ownership also of those results, from management, to the player, staff ... but there is also the other part, the data part, on showing that the team for the last couple of months, and not only from the beginning of the season, is not, in our opinion, progressing enough on the pitch, and that's why we took this decision."

What's next

For the Stars, only part of the path forward begins with finding a leader who can get the best out of the roster, implement a winning style, and deliver results, both now and in the years to come.

The dismissal of Donaldson marks a pivotal moment for the Chicago Stars FC. While his tenure helped reset some club culture, his departure just signals more long-term hurdles for a club that no amount of rebranding will fix. Attracting key players, maintaining a competitive environment, club-specific facilities, and flat-out winning are the only concrete indicators that will show the team has finally turned a corner --  and they are far from achieving those goals at this time.