Chaos in LA: Lalas Sacked, Gullit Resigns

Long-threatened changes have finally come about in Los Angeles, as Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit has submitted his resignation, while general manager Alexi Lalas came to an agreement to end his contract early. The sweeping personnel moves come just three days before the Galaxy are set to clash with intrastadium rivals Chivas USA, in a match that should set the tempo for both club's final third of the season.

In the midst of a 7-game winless streak that has seen the club spiral from the top of the Western Conference into a struggle for the last playoff spot, AEG executives had made it very clear that the status quo would not be acceptable. After a last-minute loss to the expansion San Jose Earthquakes, it appears that they’ve seen enough, and will now look toward long-time fan favorite Cobi Jones to guide the team in the interim.
“In truth, it has proved a lot more difficult that I anticipated for my family to settle in the area and the club has been very supportive and understanding of my decision,” said Gullit. “I would like to thank the players and the fans for their fantastic support and I wish the LA Galaxy much success in the future. I would like to spend some time with my family before considering any other position in football.”

Lalas has been an AEG employee since 2004, starting with the San Jose Earthquakes before moving to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 2005. He joined the Galaxy in April 2006, filling the position vacated a month earlier by the unfortunate death of Doug Hamilton. Lalas faced increasing pressure from his bosses and the club’s fans to deliver success on the field after overseeing several questionable trades that saw blossoming young talent traded away for little or no dividends.

Gullit was signed in November 2007 to a three-year contract, his goal being to turn around the Galaxy’s fortunes after the club missed the postseason for the second consecutive season. Despite early offensive success, Gullit came under fire for his inability to understand the defensive side of the game. After Gullit cut loose journeyman defender Abel Xavier earlier in the season, the two engaged in a public spat in which Xavier asserted the belief that many of the club’s players didn’t respect Gullit’s managerial style.

“Gullit cannot have the power that he has in the club because no club can give that much power to the coach,” Xavier said at the time. “You take the risk of losing your identity when you give one person so much power. Most of the players are not happy to be coached by Ruud Gullit. They are afraid to talk back because they have non-guaranteed contracts and can be traded.”

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Statement from Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG:

“Both parties have agreed on mutually-agreeable terms to part company. It is an amicable arrangement and we appreciate and respect the issues that Ruud has highlighted with the club and are very grateful for all the hard work he has contributed while with the organization. Hopefully, he has laid the foundations for future success for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“With Ruud moving on, we believe that this is the right time to make more sweeping changes throughout the organization. Our commitment continues to be focused on not only winning the MLS Cup this and every season, but to build a club capable of competing at the international level. This decision is the right one for the organization, the right one for the players and the right one for our fans. We thank Alexi for the tremendous hard work and dedication he brought to his job each and every day."