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Columbus Crew Fire Henrik Rydstrom, Elevate Laurent Courtois as Interim Coach

Management says the move resets the team’s results, style and culture.

Overview

  • The Crew dismissed Rydstrom on Sunday after a 3-4-7 start and promoted assistant Laurent Courtois to interim, also parting with assistant Theodor Olsson and analyst Mak Pakhei.
  • General manager Issa Tall said the decision turned on poor results, a way of playing that fell short, and a cultural fit that did not take hold.
  • Columbus has three wins in 14 league games and sits 13th in the Eastern Conference, four points below the playoff line with about 20 matches left.
  • Rydstrom argued the squad lacked a true striker after the pre‑season sale of Jacen Russell-Row and a season‑ending injury to designated player Wessam Abou Ali.
  • Courtois, who led Crew 2 to an MLS Next Pro title and later coached CF Montréal, is slated to debut Wednesday in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against NYCFC as the front office pledges support.