Over the past several weeks, Atlanta CEO Garth Lagerwey has hinted that the ideal coach would be a proven winner. Deila succeeds interim manager Rob Valentino who led Atlanta to a late-season postseason run. Atlanta eliminated Inter Miami in a three-game series before a loss to Orlando City in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Atlanta United hired Ronny Deila as its new coach on Friday, bringing him back to Major League Soccer three years after he guided New York City FC to a championship. The 49-year-old Norwegian manager agreed to a three-year deal to replace Rob Valentino,

Deila returned to Norway in 2016 as head coach of Vålerenga before joining MLS as the head coach of New York City FC in 2020. At NYCFC, he led the team to the MLS Cup title in 2021, achieving a 46-29-15 record during his two-and-a-half-year stint.