For the first time since the news broke nearly three weeks ago that 2025 would be Steve Cherundolo’s fourth and final season as head coach of the Los Angeles Football Club, the 46-year-old American answered questions about his pending departure in the fall.
A day after FIFA announced that LAFC would play Club América for the right to occupy a vacant slot in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, Cherundolo spoke with the Southern California News Group about his decision to leave the U.S. for Europe, where he famously played fullback in Germany for Hannover 96 during the entirety of his 15-year career.
Describing a return to Germany with his wife and daughters as a “little bit of a leap of faith,” Cherundolo’s move came with opportunity in mind.
“The truth is the next phase, personally and professionally, I would like to take on in Europe,” said Cherundolo, who led the Black & Gold to the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup title in his first season in 2022.
Q: First of all, could I get your reaction to being announced that there’s a chance to get to the Club World Cup? It’s not anything that caught you by surprise, but how does it feel now to know that shot is coming your way?
A: I guess without offering any opinion about how we got to this point, we’re excited for the opportunity. It’s a huge opportunity for us and one that we take very seriously. We’re going to give it everything we have. Yeah, playing in the Club World Cup is something that doesn’t come around very often and this is the first ever on this side and we’re excited about it.
Q: Another big moment for LAFC. Certainly you’ve been a part of a lot of them. The last few weeks have been really interesting. The club seems like a tough gig to walk away from. How are you feeling about that, in particular, leaving a place you know you can compete and have moments you want as a footballer? What are you going through?
A: I think it’s what you can imagine. Mixed emotions. But I’ve always been somebody who looks forward to the future. I’m eager about the next stage of my life, professional and personal. Personal always being the most important. And that’s it. In the short term, obviously giving LAFC and more important the team my undivided attention and effort.
Q: You’ve talked about how you liked the way the team has responded since you made the news announcement. That process of revealing it to them and going through that, and you didn’t really want to talk to us about it, I appreciate you talking about it now. How do you feel the fallout has been from your decision? Are you back to business, there’s nothing different about the way you’re operating before the announcement?
A: “Fallout” is the wrong adjective. I think there’s been no turbulence whatsoever. The team is playing their hearts out and giving their 100% effort. … I haven’t seen a change at all and that confirms the timing of our message and the method of the messaging. It also confirms the mentality of the group and how we work at LAFC.
Q: You made it known a couple weeks ago. When, for you, did leaving become a real possibility? Something you were genuinely considering?
A: A couple months ago.
Q: Was there anything in particular that brought that on? Why now?
A: I would say nothing in particular. I guess the question I would have for you is, what are you hoping to get out of this conversation? And what are you hoping to hear? Because what I would like to avoid is really speaking about my personal life a whole lot. And I don’t want to read “leaving for personal reasons,” or “that’s the biggest driver.” That’s part of it, but I’d like to keep that as private as possible. What are you hoping to get out of this?
Q: Just an accurate understanding of what you were thinking in leaving the job. Really, that’s it. Whatever it is, it is. I’m not looking for anything more than that.
A: I think the truth is quite simple. The truth is the next phase, personally and professionally, I would like to take on in Europe. And that’s the truth. Really there’s no negative reason, or other reason, why after four years of being the head coach I feel like it’s a good time to do that. Or the right time.
Q: So you’re going with opportunity in mind. I understand that. How will Germany be better than the U.S. for you professionally right now?
A: I don’t know. And that’s the big unknown. In these larger decisions, it’s not just professional, so I don’t know. That’s also a part of coaching. You don’t really know what’s around the corner and it’s a little bit of a leap of faith. But at the very least reconnecting with the European market and watching more games, and replenish, brushing up on our contacts and friendships, and being more connected to the European game as opposed to North American and South America.
Q: After this season, it will be five years coaching here with USL and MLS. How has the last five years informed your understanding of pro soccer in the U.S.? Your entire career was in Europe, so how much did you learn about the game here, and what are some of your key takeaways from your time here just in terms of the state of soccer professionally?
A: Before moving to Europe, I think I was offered one of those Project-40 contracts back in high school before I went to college. Now looking at the league, it’s incredible how far the league has come. We’re now competing against 29 other teams. A league of 30 teams. Wonderful soccer-specific stadiums. A new broadcast partner with Apple. The product has come such a long, long way. It’s awesome to see and be a part of. That’s the first and foremost thing that I have recognized and come to appreciate and everyone who has had a role in that should be congratulated. It’s been pretty insane and in my role personally just trying to push it further in areas I can push it further. And that’s, more specifically, my particular team. I try to play a successful and intense way, one that I learned how to do as a player in Europe and where I took my first steps as a coach. I think those are the first impressions that I’ve had. The most interesting and lasting impressions that I’ve had. Coaching at the USL level as well was also interesting to see that level of play and still the passion and the quality there, which would be considered not our first division but our second, was a great experience as well.
Q: Compared to German soccer, do you have any pros/cons about the way you think about soccer here? There are obvious differences. I wonder how you view those.
A: Yeah, I think not having relegation gives you the advantage to create a style of play and allow coaches a little more time to stick to a style of play and create a way of play. You know, fighting relegation or fighting for survival changes the way you approach games. It will inform your tactics. It will change the way you have to play. It will change the way you sub players in. It will change the transfer policy. You cannot paint a picture from an empty canvas. That’s not how it works. You also do not get the advantage of having the same budget in a salary-cap league. So in MLS, you can kind of do what you think is right and stick to it. I think there’s more idealism in MLS, which is fun to watch. You see a more complex clash of tactics. Throughout the league, every team has their own way of playing, and that’s interesting to coach in and fun to watch. On the other hand, I do think watching teams fight against relegation or playing for Europe do, at certain moments in the season, create more intensity, and I think those are the biggest differences having been involved with both worlds. I’m not saying one is better than the other. Those are just the differences that I have noticed.
Q: My opinion as an aside: I think the lack of promotion/relegation does mean less intensity across all levels and that’s a reason why maybe we’ve not gotten over the hump internationally. That’s just my opinion from an outside watching perspective, for whatever that’s worth, which isn’t much.
A: Your opinion matters, Josh. You might be right. Maybe that is the reason. I think until you try it you won’t know for sure. So I don’t know. I guess we all have our opinion, but I think there is something to be said about consequences in competition and having a players union and making life better for players is great. but you also see more intensity on rosters if it’s a little more incentive-based, which we obviously don’t want. We want stability. So it’s give and take. You can’t have both. You can’t have stability and increased competition and intensity. It’s very difficult to do that.
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