Portland sack Neville after dismal start

Phil Neville has been removed as Portland Timbers manager after a poor start to the MLS campaign, with the club confirming his exit by mutual consent. Portland sit 13th in the Western Conference with only four wins from fourteen matches, prompting the decision as the league enters its mid‑season World Cup break. General manager Ned Grabavoy said the team had failed to show the progress expected after extensive off‑season planning, stressing that results had fallen “well short” of club standards.

Neville previously managed Inter Miami, where he was dismissed in June 2023 with the team bottom of the table, before joining Portland later that year. Although he guided the Timbers to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, both runs ended in first‑round exits. Owner Merritt Paulson praised Neville’s leadership and professionalism, while the coach acknowledged that performance levels had not met expectations in a results‑driven environment.