Frank Lampard snubbed in favor of Dean Smith! MLS side Charlotte FC confirm appointment of ex-Aston Villa boss as new head coach over Chelsea legend

Smith signed a deal with the MLS club as their new boss on Tuesday. GOAL previously reported that ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who knows the league well due to his time with New York City FC, was also considered for the position.

Smith joins Charlotte after the sacking of Christian Lattanzio, despite him taking the team to the playoffs in 2023. The ex-Villa man will be the third hire in three seasons since the club entered the league in 2022, with their first-ever coach Miguel Angel Ramirez being dismissed after just 24 games in charge.

Smith will have to undergo a major roster overhaul in 2024 if he wants to compete with the best teams in the East. He previously led Villa from 2019-2021, guiding them to Premier League promotion. Most recently, he was interim manager at Leicester City, prior to their relegation to the Championship.

"It was clear that this is an ambitious club with the right ingredients for success and I’m delighted to begin a new chapter in Charlotte," the incoming boss said.

Charlotte FC drew the most matches of any Eastern Conference MLS team to make the playoffs in 2023, ending the regular season with a record (WDL) of 10-13-11.

With Smith now on the way to the Eastern Conference club, they can immediately get to work on their roster rebuild while making offseason moves. Then, focus can shift to next Tuesday's MLS Superdraft, where they will have the No. 11 overall pick.