Austin FC has fired head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell following a disappointing season. The team sits at No. 13 in the Western Conference with just three wins in 14 matches, well out of playoff contention. The dismissals come after a 2-1 home loss to bottom-placed Sporting KC and a club-record 5-0 defeat at San Diego.

The move represents a dramatic shift for a club that made the playoffs in 2025, Estévez's first season. Austin's highest-paid players, wingers Facundo Torres ($3.4 million) and Myrto Uzuni ($1.6 million), have underperformed with just six combined goals. Borrell, a former top assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, struggled with salary constraints compared to European clubs.

Assistant coach Davy Arnaud will serve as interim head coach for Saturday's match at St. Louis. The club expected to contend for a playoff return this season, but with just two playoff appearances since its 2021 inception, the ownership group aims to deliver "consistently strong results." Austin will have two months during the World Cup break to regroup.