Deila was most recently coach of United Arab Emirates’ Al Wahda after spells in Belgium with Standard Liège and Club Brugge.

The 49-year-old Norwegian coach joins Atlanta shortly after the club appointed Chris Henderson as sporting director/chief football officer. They arrive two months before the start of the 2025 campaign and the Five Stripes are looking to fill two open Designated Player spots.

“We are pleased to welcome Ronny as Atlanta United’s new head coach,” said club president and CEO Garth Lagerwey. “He has a proven track record of winning in multiple leagues around the world, including the 2021 MLS Cup with NYCFC, and his MLS knowledge was a key factor in our search.”

“We believe his style of play is in line with the club’s philosophy as we want to build a team that consistently competes for trophies.”

Deila compiled a 46W-29L-15D (all competitions) record with NYCFC and reached the semifinals of the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup. In both years of his tenure, the club qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

Before joining MLS, Deila managed Scottish club Celtic as well as Vålerenga and Strømsgodset in his native Norway.

“I would like to thank Arthur M. Blank and Garth Lagerwey for this opportunity and I am very excited to be joining Atlanta United,” said Deila. “This is a club with great ownership, excellent facilities and the ambition to be successful and continue to push the league forward.”

“I’m excited to return to MLS, a competitive league that I enjoy, and I can’t wait to get there and work with our group of players.”

Atlanta is looking to recapture its glory days after winning the 2018 MLS Cup under former head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, a year after entering the league.

After Martino’s departure, the club brought in high-profile managers Frank de Boer and Gabriel Heinze without repeating their initial success. Gonzalo Pineda was their last full-time head coach until he was fired in June.

Interim coach Rob Valentino led Atlanta to a shocking upset of Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami CF in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs before losing to Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Ultimately, Lagerwey and the club’s management decided on a more experienced coach to lead the Five Stripes, which ultimately led to Deila’s hiring.

With Deila and Henderson on board, Atlanta should be one of the busiest MLS teams this winter. In addition to their two open DP spots, the Five Stripes have two U22 Initiative spots to fill.

The club has nearly $30 million at its disposal thanks to the summer departures of Thiago Almada (for an MLS record transfer fee), Giorgos Giakoumakis and Caleb Wiley.

Some of the money raised from these sales was used to sign current DP Alexey Miranchuk in July.