By Doug McIntyreFOX Sports Soccer WriterAtlanta United FCs decision Sunday to fire Gabriel Heinze just 13 games into the Argentine coachs very first MLS season was certainly stunning to numerous around the league.But inside the club itself, the change wasnt unexpected– at least not to numerous club sources who spoke anonymously to FOX Sports about how the previous Manchester United and Real Madrid protectors hard-driving style had alienated his roster since his introduction in December.Things had gotten so bad that the MLS Players Association submitted a grievance with the league on behalf of Atlantas players, who mentioned numerous infractions of the collective bargaining contract, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported quickly after news of Heinzes dismissal broke.Heinzes personnel limited the amount of water gamers could drink during preseason practices, to the point that the clubs medical professionals were required to step in, according to sources. Heinze declined to approve gamers their guaranteed day of rests and required they always be readily available to address their phones or report to the training center at a moments notice. “The methods and soccer side are one thing, but there was so much going on off the field that gamers were psychologically drained on a day-to-day basis,” one source inside the club said.Upon signing up with MLS in 2017, Atlanta quickly established itself as one of the most effective expansion groups in the history of North American professional sports. The franchise played to NFL-size crowds and won the 2018 MLS Cup in its second season.Now, the club is once again at a crossroads after shooting a prominent, highly compensated head coach for the 2nd time in less than 12 months, following Frank De Boers dismissal in July 2020. Under head coach Gabriel Heinze, Atlanta beings in 10th location in the Eastern Conference with a record of 2-4-7.(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Images) ATLANTAS FALL FROM ITS EARLY HEIGHTSEverything club president Darren Eales and VP Carlos Bocanegra touched turned to gold during Uniteds very first 2 MLS seasons. The Five Stripes became victims of their own early success, leading to the departures of numerous key figures, not least supervisor Tata Martino and enemy Miguel Almiron.Martino, who d previously managed Lionel Messi with both Barcelona and Argentina, was tempted away by Mexicos national group. Almiron, the groups Paraguayan spark plug, was sold for a tidy revenue to Newcastle of the Premier League.De Boer, the former Ajax and Inter Milan manager, was worked with as the new head coach, and ruling South American gamer of the year Pity Martinez was brought in to energize the lineup. Neither fit in Atlanta, and both were rejected before the 2020 campaign was over.Heinze, another Argentine, was supposed to represent a return to the clubs flamboyant roots. He played at the highest levels of the sport and was considered as among South Americas top young coaches after 3 successful seasons at Velez Sarsfield. However nearly instantly, it ended up being clear that personality-wise, he was the reverse of Martino. Heinze stopped working to adapt to his brand-new environment.”It was hell every day for 6 months,” another United source said of Heinzes tenure. Atlanta United FC won the MLS Cup in just its 2nd season in 2018, making the citys very first championship since 1995. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Images) WHAT WENT WRONG UNDER HEINZE?Sources explained a culture in which Heinze hardly talked to his gamers, utilizing intermediaries rather. He and his carefully picked backroom personnel made little effort to develop relationships with the clubs existing staff members, leading to a lack of communication and bad morale across the organization. Heinze frustrated gamers and staffers alike by not sharing the groups schedule ahead of time, then rejected those issues when confronted.The bad vibes manifested on the field; following Saturdays 1-0 loss to New England, Atlanta (0W-3L-5T in its previous eight matches) sat 10th in MLSs 14-team Eastern Conference. Eales firmly insisted Sunday that Heinzes benching of star striker Josef Martinez wasnt the reason for his termination. But it most likely sped up the unavoidable. Atlanta take advantage of among the leagues most passionate groups of supporters.(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) WHATS NEXT FOR UNITED?The struggles of a club that appeared invincible throughout its very first three years act as a reminder that sustaining success is more hard than achieving it. Its tough to keep the locker space mix right, no matter how much research you do or just how much money you invest on transfer charges and well-off coaches.Alls far from lost, though. Atlantas fan base stays among the biggest, if not the greatest outright, in MLS. The club, which plays to huge crowds at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, recently was valued by Sportico at a cool $845 million, second only to LAFC amongst MLSs 27 groups. United stays about as well-positioned as possible off the field.On it, its impossible to deny that this once-model franchise has actually become a shadow of its former self, and more departures might be in the cards if the squad does not rebound under interim coach Rob Valentino. The look for a permanent manager is currently underway. Getting that move right will be critical to the futures of both Eales and Bocanegra.After swinging tough and missing amazingly twice in a row, United needs its next employing to rekindle some of the magic that assisted put the club on the map in the very first place.One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has actually covered United States guyss and ladiess national groups in more than a dozen countries, consisting of numerous FIFA World Cups. Prior to joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre. 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By Doug McIntyreFOX Sports Soccer WriterAtlanta United FCs decision Sunday to fire Gabriel Heinze simply 13 games into the Argentine coachs first MLS season was certainly shocking to numerous around the league.But inside the club itself, the modification wasnt unexpected– at least not to several club sources who spoke anonymously to FOX Sports about how the previous Manchester United and Real Madrid defenders hard-driving style had actually alienated his roster since his introduction in December.Things had gotten so bad that the MLS Players Association submitted a grievance with the league on behalf of Atlantas gamers, who cited various violations of the cumulative bargaining agreement, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported shortly after news of Heinzes termination broke.Heinzes staff restricted the amount of water gamers could drink during preseason practices, to the point that the clubs doctors were required to step in, according to sources.”The methods and soccer side are one thing, however there was so much going on off the field that players were mentally drained pipes on a day-to-day basis,” one source inside the club said.Upon signing up with MLS in 2017, Atlanta rapidly established itself as one of the most successful expansion teams in the history of North American expert sports. The franchise played to NFL-size crowds and won the 2018 MLS Cup in its second season.Now, the club is once again at a crossroads after firing a prominent, extremely compensated head coach for the 2nd time in less than 12 months, following Frank De Boers termination in July 2020.(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ATLANTAS FALL FROM ITS EARLY HEIGHTSEverything club president Darren Eales and VP Carlos Bocanegra touched turned to gold throughout Uniteds very first 2 MLS seasons. Neither fit in Atlanta, and both were rejected prior to the 2020 project was over.Heinze, another Argentine, was expected to represent a return to the clubs flamboyant roots.