After 61 matches, the era of Gerard Nijkamp as general manager of FC Cincinnati is over.
FC Cincinnati on Friday announced it and Nijkamp, who was in his third season at the club, had parted ways, effective immediately.
During a statement made live via Zoom video conference, FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding thanked Nijkamp and said the club respected what was characterized as NIjkamp's decision to return to Europe and his family.
"We'll begin our search for a permanent successor immediately and we'll focus on experienced leaders who align with our ambitious goals," Berding said in his opening statement on Zoom. "Our club pillars since Day One are to give back to our community, to be family friendly and to win, and we've been delivering on two of these three pillars. We are not yet delivering on the third pillar – winning. This demands our consistent focus, commitment and investment. With a significant portion of the season remaining, our focus is on improving our play on the pitch and earning a playoff spot.
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"I would like to thank Gerard for his commitment and dedication to FC Cincinnati. Gerard has been a key part of our development: Opening TQL Stadium, launching our academy, improving our roster and building an infrastructure that positions us for success in the future. We sincerely appreciate Gerard's efforts over the past two years and respect his decision to return to Europe where he can be closer to his family. We wish him and his family the best of luck moving forward."
Nijkamp's departure came less than 24 hours after the secondary transfer window in MLS closed. It was a period in which FC Cincinnati made two acquisitions and head coach Jaap Stam repeatedly called for additions.
Asked about the timing of Nijkamp's departure and if Nijkamp's performance in the transfer window factored into the decision-making process, Berding said: "As it relates to the transfer window, we're pleased with the addition of our two new players and we're going to continue to seek the opportunity to add additional pieces that will make us stronger on the pitch."
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FCC is 3-6-7 this season and is 10th place in the MLS Eastern Conference. Saturday's match against Orlando City SC marks the halfway point in the 2021 season.
With 18 matches to play going into the Orlando game, FC Cincinnati is nine points back of the seventh and final playoff spot in the East.
FC Cincinnati's next general manager will be its third since entering MLS in 2019.
Prior to Nijkamp, Berding served as the club's first general manager.
Nijkamp was hired May 30, 2019 to buoy the technical side of the organization and stabilize the roster after a slow start to FC Cincinnati's inaugural MLS campaign.
While using the 2019 season to make internal evaluations on the club, a roster Nijkamp largely had no hand in shaping went 4-14-4 after his arrival.
During the the 23-match, pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 16 matches in 2021, Nijkamp's teams went a combined 7-22-10.
Nijkamp felt the full brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications more acutely than many of his peers.
In addition to monitoring the bodies and minds of his players while play was halted for about three months, Nijkamp also oversaw the only head-coaching hire that occurred in MLS during the pandemic stoppage.
Stam was hired to be FC Cincinnati's head coach in May 2020.
Stam took over from interim head coach and longtime FC Cincinnati assistant Yoann Damet after Ron Jans, Nijkamp's first head coaching hire at FCC, was fired during preseason.
As a roster builder, Nijkamp's record at FC Cincinnati was a mixed bag. He corralled the biggest and most expensive names in the club's young history. The signings made FCC interesting and relevant in a way it hadn't been prior to Nijkamp's arrival.
Along the way, there were misses on high profile players such as the since-departed Jürgen Locadia. Locadia had a reputation a goalscorer and commanded a seven-figure salary, but scored just twice in about 18 months with the club.
There were signings that Nijkamp and his staff hit on such as Luciano Acosta, who leads FC Cincinnati this season in goals (four) and assists (three). Geoff Cameron, too, has had a game-changing presence for FCC.
Other players with sell-on potential like Alvaro Barreal have shown promise.
Brenner Souza da Silva, the most expensive signing under Nijkamp's watch, is still yet to find a consistent rhythm.
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Ultimately, none of the teams Nijkamp helped construct were winners and Cincinnati was scarcely relevant in the standings.
FC Cincinnati's 3-7-6 start to 2021 is often contrast against the fact that the club had one of the larger payrolls in MLS, according to Major League Soccer Players Association salary information released earlier this year.
Speaking to The Enquirer just prior to the start of the 2021 season, Nijkamp conveyed his awareness of the need for positive on-field results.
"I think we have to earn it. I think it makes sense that people are a little hesitant about FC Cincinnati," Nijkamp said at the time. "They say, ‘Hey, FCC did some interesting additions in the roster, we move some players who didn’t have a future here. Is this coming together?’ We have to earn respect. We have to earn the positives of everyone."
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