There will be a new figure leading FC Dallas from the sidelines for the rest of the 2024 season, at least.
Peter Luccin, who has served FCD as an assistant coach for the last four seasons, will assume the role of interim head coach through the end of the year following the dismissal of former boss Nico Estévez on Sunday.
Luccin will be joined on the bench by John Gall and Sandro Orlandelli as assistant coaches. Gall had previously been head coach of FCD’s second team North Texas SC, leading the club to first place in MLS NEXT Pro midway through the season. Orlandelli joined Dallas as technical director under Chief Soccer Officer André Zanotta this February, after working for clubs in South America and Europe (including as a scout for Arsenal and Manchester United).
Luccin originally joined FC Dallas in 2013 at the tailend of his impressive playing career, which included stops at Marseille, Paris Saint-Germaine, Atlético Madrid among others. Once retiring in 2014, Luccin transitioned to coaching with the FC Dallas Academy before joining the first team coaching staff in 2019 under Luchi Gonzalez.
“You know what it means to play for this club? I've been in this club for a long time now,” Luccin said in press conference Tuesday morning. “I'm a real FC Dallas person, so nobody can doubt that.”
Having previously announced Luccin as interim coach in conjunction with Estévez’s dismissal, FCD President Dan Hunt confirmed that Luccin will handle head coaching duties until the end of 2024. The next six months will serve as an audition for the 45-year-old Frenchman to earn the job on a full-time basis.
“He's ready for it. He's been ready for this moment,” Hunt said. “He’s had aspirations to be a head coach in MLS so this is a great opportunity: 18 matches, the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal and then Leagues Cup.
“This is a great moment for him. We’re thrilled that we have somebody that we trust so much.”
Dallas’ new leader takes over a team that sits second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 3-8-5 record. With just four training sessions before his first test against St. Louis City on Saturday, Luccin stressed the importance of mentality and attitude from his players.
“In terms of system, shape, formation, I would like more to talk about behavior,” he explained. “More than that because there is an attitude that we need to change. And from me first, because I'm going to lead that project, they have to see something from me. That’s life, everything is about energy.”
In terms of his preferred playing style, Luccin said: “I like to play football. And when I say I like to play football, it’s complete football. I think that we can see a lot of things. We can see the ball on the ground. We can see the ball in the air. It’s going to depend on what the opponent is giving us. It's a very important that the game is a game of adjustment. I want to help them to adjust. It’s not just about the coach. It’s about them to see and to read what is going on the field.
“I want to make sure that the people who are coming here with their family, that they can see attractive football.”
Luccin knows the game in and out; he knows FC Dallas in and out. He has all the ingredients to succeed. Now, he has the chance to prove it.
