The Afshin Ghotbi era at Vancouver FC is over.
The 61-year-old Iranian head coach was sacked by the club Tuesday morning, ending a two-and-a-half-year tenure with the Eagles. He had joined in November 2022 ahead of their inaugural 2023 season.
His firing isn’t a shock—Vancouver sit dead last in the Canadian Premier League with just one win in 15 games, and are currently on track to have the worst season in league history, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign where FC Edmonton managed just one win from seven.
His past two seasons, while showing glimpses of promise, ultimately failed to inspire.
In 2024, Vancouver finished 7th—tied on points with the 6th-placed Halifax Wanderers. The year prior, during their inaugural campaign, they also placed 7th. While that first season came with some grace due to expansion expectations and various controversial refereeing decisions going against their way, 2025 was largely viewed as Ghotbi’s make-or-break year.
And while Vancouver have made a surprising run to the Canadian Championship semi-finals, their league form hasn't been good.
Earlier this month, ahead of their second-leg clash against Cavalry in the Voyageurs Cup quarter-finals—a tie they won on penalties—Ghotbi gave an interview to The Canadian Press. One particular quote from that interview drew some mixed reactions from fans around the league, especially of the club.
Speaking to The Canadian Press ahead of Vancouver FC’s decisive second leg in the Canadian Championship quarter-finals, head coach Afshin Ghotbi remained confident despite his team sitting last in the CPL standings. “I think if you look at the table and the league, we’re probably… pic.twitter.com/Qe8TmOD8Ha
— TrueNorthFoot ⚽️🇨🇦 (@truenorthfoot) July 9, 2025
Throughout his tenure, there were ongoing rumours that Ghotbi's relationship with certain players was strained.
One notable situation involved New Zealand striker Moses Dyer. After signing with Vancouver in March 2024, Dyer was loaned out just five months later to provincial rivals Pacific FC.
Dyer began to flourish with the Tridents. On a four-game scoring streak, he was asked in a post-match press conference about his great form since joining Pacific following his move from Vancouver. His response?
"I just get more chances here [...] I think Pacific play better football, and we create more for our attacking players here, so, I've been enjoying it so much more. I've been feeling so much more comfortable here as well, in my play, in my finishing..."
The quote didn’t go unnoticed—seen by many as a subtle jab at Ghotbi’s system.
“I JUST GET MORE CHANCES HERE”
— TrueNorthFoot ⚽️🇨🇦 (@truenorthfoot) September 22, 2024
Moses Dyer was asked about his great form with Pacific after joining from Vancouver FC less than 2 months ago 👀 “I think Pacific play better football, and we create more for our attacking players here” #CanPL pic.twitter.com/KB38oUfnlh
Rocco Romeo, who played for Vancouver FC from 2023 to 2024, also said what seemed like a dig at Vancouver FC:
When [the chance to join Valour] came up, it wasn’t something I was going to pass on, the culture we want to build here is all about winning.” he told the club. “I’m not trying to discredit anything with my former clubs, but I don’t want to be part of a youth movement anymore. I’m going to be 25 this year and I want to be competing for a playoff spot and championships. I’ve been in the league going on four seasons now. Four years and I haven’t made the playoffs.
When Ghotbi joined Vancouver FC in late 2022, he told the Canadian Premier League that his team would be very competitive.
I can say it boldly that this team will be very competitive. Even though we're gonna be an expansion team where people don't have many expectations, myself and the ownership expect to compete in the first and try to be in the play-offs. I hope in the 2nd year we can already have a championship. That's what this club is gonna be about.
Martin Nash has taken over as Interim Head coach of Vancouver FC, also stepping into the role as head of the club's academy, where he'll be leading the development of Vancouver FC's U19 program alongside its existing staff,
