The Portland Timbers have signed head coach Giovanni Savarese to a contract extension, keeping him at the club through the 2025 MLS season, with an option year in 2026. Should the Venezuelan stay put until 2026, it’ll be his ninth year in charge of the Western Conference side.
“Gio has a proven track record of success in MLS, and we are excited to officially announce his extension as the head coach of the Portland Timbers,” technical director Ned Grabavoy said in a release.
Savarese joined the Timbers in 2018, inspiring the team to the MLS Cup final during his debut season. He led the team to the MLS Cup final once again in 2022, but failed to lift the trophy a second time. Overall, he’s managed a 85W-60L-42D record across all competitions.
“This is something that has been in the works since the MLS Cup last season, and for me, what felt right was to stay in Portland,” said Savarese. “I love the passion and the energy that our fans bring, and I believe in Portland as a soccer city. I’m honored to lead this team and plan to continue to help the team be competitive and build something bigger so we can make the fans very proud.”
The team concluded the 2022 campaign in eighth place on the Western Conference table, narrowly missing out on the playoffs after a making the final last year. Given their position, Gio Savarese’s position with the Timbers began being questioned. But the team reassured supporters their head coach isn’t going anywhere.
Credit: 90min.com
