Raphael Wicky’s early impact on Sporting KC

Raphael Wicky was appointed Sporting Kansas City head coach in January, with his arrival coming just weeks before the start of preseason. Even when preseason began, Wicky was unable to formally coach the team as he awaited his visa to work in the United States.

In the wake of his appointment, supporters took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the hire. It is safe to say that even with just four points from four games, much of that initial disinterest in the coach has shifted. The style of play he has brought to Sporting Kansas City has been exciting. 

Even if the team has won just one match from four, the building blocks are there. Just imagine if Wicky had stronger players. Then again, his tactics and system may not work with better players. The vast majority of Sporting Kansas City’s squad is young, inexperienced, and hungry to play—some are even fighting to remain on an MLS roster.

Wicky’s path to Kansas City

Wicky managed four different teams before arriving in Kansas City. He began his managerial career in 2017 with FC Basel. After finishing second in the Swiss Super League, he was sacked after 390 days in the job. He resurfaced in 2019 as the United States U-17 manager, but once again, his tenure was brief. Wicky lasted just 293 days in charge of the U-17s.

He left that role to take over as Chicago Fire head coach in December 2019, during a period when ownership alienated supporters by changing the club’s badge and colors—one of the worst rebrands in MLS history. The turmoil surrounding the club at the time highlighted just how poorly run the Fire were, and still are.

Wicky stepped into the role, but it was a poisoned chalice. COVID-19 curtailed the 2020 MLS season, and the Fire finished 11th in the 14-team Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs. Remarkably, when Wicky was hired by Sporting Kansas City, MLS PR pushed the narrative that he nearly guided Chicago into the postseason. As always, making the playoffs should be the bare minimum. In a league where more than half the teams from each conference qualify, a team has to be truly poor to miss out.

Wicky remained in Chicago for most of the 2021 campaign, but the Fire finished 12th in the East, leading to his dismissal before the end of the season. He lasted 643 days in the job, with a record of 12 wins, 14 draws, and 25 losses. It is remarkable how many MLS coaches retain their positions for years with sub-.500 records. Wicky was not afforded that same patience.

The Swiss coach did not stay out of work for long, joining Young Boys in 2022. It marked his first real taste of managerial success. Young Boys secured a domestic double in 2022–23, winning both the Swiss Cup and the Super League title.

However, like FC Basel, Young Boys are judged not just on domestic success but on their European performances. In March 2024, a run of poor results led to Wicky losing his job. The club’s board was unhappy with elimination from both the Europa League and the Swiss Cup, the latter defeat coming against second-division side Sion—coincidentally, the club where Wicky began his career. He spent 612 days as Young Boys head coach. In MLS, teams are happy to give coaches years, even if 90% of the seasons are not good. In Europe, it’s all about what have you done for me lately. You don’t win, you don’t have a job.

Wicky’s influence on the team

After four games in the 2026 MLS season, Wicky is averaging 1.0 points per match. It is, of course, a small sample size, and any full assessment must wait until the end of the season. However, the work he has done to implement a more exciting style of soccer already demonstrates his influence. That alone feels like a miracle.

Sporting Kansas City failed to qualify for the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025. The 2024 season was the last full campaign under Peter Vermes, who averaged just 0.9 points per game. Prior to his departure in 2025, that number dropped to 0.2 points per match. His replacement, Kerry Zavagnin, averaged 1.0 points per game.

It is surprising that even in his best seasons as Sporting Kansas City head coach, Vermes never averaged more than 1.9 points per game, according to FotMob. He reached that mark in both 2012 and 2020, although the latter campaign was shortened due to the pandemic, with MLS playing just 23 games instead of the usual 34.

Judging MLS coaches

Judging MLS coaches is never straightforward. The league has gone through multiple eras and now features more money, better talent, and more teams than ever before. The evolution is clear, particularly when long-serving coaches struggle to adapt. The question remains: can Wicky succeed in this modern version of MLS over the long term?

His contract with Sporting Kansas City is relatively short at two and a half years, suggesting he may be a transitional figure tasked with guiding the club into its next phase. When he arrived, MLS.com writers labeled Sporting a de facto expansion team due to the lack of players at his disposal. Perhaps they had a point.

However, recent expansion teams have often been far better constructed than this current Sporting Kansas City roster. San Diego FC, for example, finished top of the Western Conference in 2025 as an expansion side. Sporting Kansas City, meanwhile, are one of the league’s original clubs—alongside FC Dallas, the New England Revolution, and D.C. United—trying to keep pace with the new wave of ambitious teams.

Can Sporting Kansas City hang with the cool kids? Wicky has the Wizards looking far better than they have in recent seasons. That much is certain.