Real Salt Lake and head coach Freddy Juarez part ways

Real Salt Lake and head coach Freddy Juarez part ways effective immediately as assistant Pablo Mastroeni steps up as interim manager for the club’s match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday.

The Major League Soccer side also announced Friday that their search for a new coach has begun. 

“I’ve had the incredible opportunity to grow with Freddy in this organization over the last 11 years,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall said in a release. "It has been an honor and a pleasure to share this experience with him. We are a better club for the contributions Freddy has made, he leaves Real Salt Lake with a legacy that we will appreciate for years to come. He is an extremely talented coach who will bring passion and expertise to his next opportunity.”

Juarez first joined Real Salt Lake in 2010 as academy head coach before earning the promotion to first-team assistant in 2017. He slowly made himself an integral part of the club’s long term project. 

In 2019, the club named Juarez interim head coach after the midseason departure of Mike Petke and ultimately led the team to a Western Conference semifinal. He was awarded the following year with the official head coach tag. 

“Despite only joining us prior to this season, Pablo Mastroeni knows our roster more intimately than anyone,” Fall added. 

“He is the ideal person to take the reins right now and continue our push for a playoff berth. We have the utmost confidence in his ability to maximize the talent on our roster in the short term.”

Real Salt Lake currently stands sixth on the Western Conference table with 27 points in 20 matches.