D.C. United dismissed head coach Troy Lesesne and his top assistant Zach Prince after the club’s poor start to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The change follows a 5–2 U.S. Open Cup defeat that left the team 12th in the Eastern Conference with 19 points from 22 matches and a league-worst minus-22 goal difference. Academy director Kevin Flanagan has been appointed interim manager while the front office completes a permanent hire. The club has already reached an agreement with Swiss coach René Weiler, who is expected to take over following work-permit formalities. Weiler, 51, won domestic titles with Belgium’s Anderlecht and Egypt’s Al Ahly and most recently served as sporting director at Swiss side Servette. General manager Ally Mackay called the shake-up “a pivotal moment” for a franchise that has not made the MLS playoffs since 2019. D.C. United is also preparing for the league’s secondary transfer window, which opens 24 July, as it seeks reinforcements to revive its season under new leadership.