DC United reportedly lining up Argentine Hernan Losada as next head coach

D.C. United’s long and winding road to find a new head coach appears to be heading to an end point.

Reports here and abroad claim Argentine Hernan Losada will become the club’s next coach, ending a search that lasted more than two months and included some 25 candidates.

Interest in Losada, the head coach of Belgium’s Beerschot, emerged late last week, according to the Washington Post’s Steve Goff. According to Antwerp-based journalist Koen Frans, Losada internally informed Beerschot of his imminent departure before his last game in charge against first-place Club Brugge Sunday, a 3-0 defeat.

The 38-year-old began his coaching career as Beerschot assistant in 2018 before becoming the head coach early in the 2019-20 season, guiding the club to promotion to the Jupiler Pro League.

Losada spent much of his 15-year playing career in Belgium, including a few stints with Beerschot as well as Anderlecht, where he was a teammate with LA Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan.

Twice during the process, D.C. United had negotiations break down with other serious candidates — first with Chris Armas, who was named Toronto FC head coach last week, and again with Seattle Sounders assistant coach Gonzalo Pineda.

After failing to reach an agreement with Pineda, the club reportedly turned their search abroad, a departure for the MLS original. If the deal for Losada is finalized, he will become the club’s first coach hired from overseas and without any US soccer connections, but the first with South American roots.

Losada would be the club’s eighth head coach after Ben Olsen departed on Oct. 8. Chad Ashton served as an interim boss for the remainder of the season and was one of the many candidates considered.