Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amorós announced that he is stepping away from the club for a five-week period following the Bats’ dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Seattle Reign FC on Saturday.
The 42-year-old manager began his post-match press conference with the following statement:
“I will be stepping away from the team for parental leave following this match,” he explained. “My wife and I recently welcomed our second child, and I will be taking the next five weeks away from the team to spend this important time with my family.”
Amorós Thankful for Gotham FC’s Support During Parental Leave
“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Gotham FC for supporting us unconditionally while we were obviously deciding to take this step,” he continued. “This is a personal decision for our family, but I also recognize the visibility that comes with my role.
“When fathers take parental leave, particularly men in leadership positions, it helps normalize an important principle, caring for children. It’s a shared responsibility between parents.”
Shaun Harris To Serve as Acting Head Coach During Amorós’ Absence
Lead assistant head coach Shaun Harris will be serving as acting head coach while Amorós is away from the team. Harris previously took charge of Gotham during multiple spells this season while Amorós was unavailable.
“I’m deeply appreciative of our players supporting me in this decision as well,” Amorós stated. “That is very important to me. They’ve been fantastic. I could not be prouder to work for a club that recognises people should be supported as parents, regardless of their position or their role.
I have complete confidence in our staff and players, and I look forward to spending this important time with my family before returning to the team. I am, of course, looking forward to returning and pushing for our third championship.”
Experienced Technical Staff Gives Gotham FC Stability
Amorós informed the players of his decision weeks ago on the road in San Diego.
“We spoke before the San Diego game,” he said when asked about his decision by South Ward Central. “So, it was in San Diego, I think like two weeks ago or three weeks ago or before that. Yeah, so we’ve had a lot of time to prepare together.”
The Spanish tactician trusts his technical staff to run training days, match preparation and game days smoothly while he is away from the club.
“Obviously, we’ve been working on it for the last five or six weeks with the club,” he said. “Honestly, they have so much trust and also not only on me. I always tell you guys, there is like all the people that I keep mentioning, you know, Shaun [Harris], Sean [Nahas], Zoë [Mattheson], Michelle [Betos] and Brody [Sams], Ak [Lakhani] and Will [Guillermo Amorós], everyone is there behind the scenes working so hard.”
Nahas, who has been working with Gotham FC in a consultant capacity, will shoulder increased responsibilities in his role as club’s interim director of methodology. The experienced 48-year-old will support Harris and the technical staff in playing philosophies and sporting operations.s
UPDATE: 7/20 10:05 AM:
As stated in Monday’s press release, Amorós is expected to return to the club in early September.
Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West spoke of her belief in Harris and the technical staff while looking forward to Amorós’ return.
“We are proud to be a club that recognizes that creating an equitable environment requires supporting all parents,” Yael Averbuch West said on Monday. “We appreciate that Juan is using his platform to reinforce that message. We have great confidence in Shaun and our entire technical staff to continue leading the team during this period, and we look forward to welcoming Juan back in September.”
Harris will lead Gotham during a three-match road trip that begins with a visit to Providence Park to face Portland Thorns FC on July 24. The Bats will return home to Sports Illustrated on August 7 when they host San Diego Wave FC.
Depending on the timing of his return date, Amoros could possibly be back on the sidelines in September. He could potentially return in time for the September 6 away match against the Denver Summit or September 11 road match against Racing Louisville FC.
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