Soccer-Olsen departs as D.C. United head coach

Ben Olsen will no longer serve as head coach of D.C. United and will likely take up another role in the organisation, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club said.

Ben Olsen will no longer serve as head coach of D.C. United and will likely take up another role in the organisation, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club said. Olsen spent 11 seasons with United as a player, winning eight trophies before taking over as head coach in 2010.

The 43-year-old American led United to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons but departs with the club bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, having won just two of 16 games this season. "It is the right move. The club needs a new face and this is the right time for the club and also for me personally to move in a different direction," Olsen said in a statement.

Assistant Chad Ashton will serve as interim manager, United said, adding that they would begin a search for a permanent head coach immediately. "Ben has been a fabric of the organization for more than two decades," said United CEO Jason Levien.

"It is our sincere hope and belief that Ben will continue to have a big impact on the organization."