Charlotte FC are in the final stages of a deal that’d make Christian Lattanzio their full-time head coach and remove his interim tag, a source confirmed to MLSsoccer.com.
The contract, reported by TopBin90’s Tyler Trent to last three years, would settle one of the biggest questions surrounding the expansion club heading into the 2023 MLS season, their second year in the league.
Lattanzio took over on an interim basis in late May when then-head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez was dismissed 14 games into Charlotte’s inaugural campaign. The 51-year-old Italian was an assistant on Ramirez’s staff, plus had MLS experience from working under ex-New York City FC manager Patrick Vieira.
Heading into Week 33, Lattanzio has the Queen City side fighting for a debut-season bid into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, sitting four points below the line with three games to go. He holds a 7W-9L-1D record as their interim head coach.
Keeping Lattanzio, who’s hailed for his development work with Charlotte’s players, could bring some stability to the club after an up-and-down year. While a playoff bid is unlikely, he’s helped steady the group and improve the behind-the-scenes culture as well.
For CLTFC, this year has included a new single-game standalone attendance record of 74,479 from their inaugural match at Bank of America Stadium. Further, DP striker Karol Swiderski is expected to represent the club at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Poland.
