Milutinovic, MetroStars Part Ways After Awful Season

After a disastrous season that included a Major League Soccer record 12-game losing streak, the New York-New Jersey MetroStars bid goodbye Friday to Coach Bora Milutinovic.

Charlie Stillitano, vice president and general manager, promoted assistant Fernando Clavijo to interim coach.

“After numerous and lengthy discussions, Bora and I have concluded that this decision is in everyone’s best interest,” Stillitano said. “We are sad to see Bora leave, but I wish him the very best in his future endeavors and thank him for his efforts this past season.”

Milutinovic has earned a reputation as a quick-fix coach after guiding four different nations, including the United States, to World Cup berths. But he provided no fix for the MetroStars and was ousted with a year remaining on his contract.

The MetroStars were last in MLS with 15 points and a 7-25 record. Three of those wins came in the last four games of the season.

Milutinovic, 54, was the fifth coach of the MetroStars, the most of any team in the four-year history of the league.

“My only regret is that we were unable to meet the objectives that both the team and I had in mind when we started this project,” he said.