Today, Leeds United have announced the appointment of Chris Armas as Assistant Head Coach to Jesse Marsch.
Confirmed via the official Leeds United website today, Armas will join up with fellow American Marsch right away, and is expected to be in the dugout this weekend for the Whites fourth round FA Cup tie away to Accrington Stanley.
Marsch and Armas were once long-term team mates in the MLS during their respective tenures at Chicago Fire. Armas would then go on to be Marsch’s assistant manager at New York Red Bulls from 2015 until 2018. When speaking about the appointment, the Leeds head coach expressed his excitement towards the duo working together again:
“I’m delighted to welcome Chris to Leeds United. He will be a fantastic addition to the staff, he brings a wealth of experience from across the world and having worked closely with him previously, I am sure he will help us to improve every day.”
Last week, Phil Hay noted in The Athletic that Armas taking the role had been on the cards since former assistant manager Mark Jackson left Elland Road for his first head coaching role at MK Dons.
Chris Armas, 50, worked under interim Manchester United manager Ralf Ragnick during the 2021-22 campaign, and has experience as a head coach from stints at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. He will share the assistant role at Leeds with Rene Maric, and fans will be hoping that he and Jesse Marsch can once again establish a strong relationship and find success in the coming months.
Leeds Director of Football Victor Orta also weighed in on the appointment, describing the duo as a perfect fit.
“We always have constant ideas to improve the team around Jesse and with Chris it is a perfect fit, they have both worked together in the past and he has experience of working in the Premier League. Chris was one of the best ever players in the history of the United States and his determination and skills will add value to our club and we are really happy he has joined us.”
We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that Orta is right.
What do you think about the appointment of Chris Armas as assistant head coach? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and on Twitter at @VitalLeeds!