Whitecaps make interim coach Sartini permanent

The Vancouver Whitecaps have made interim coach Vanni Sartini their permanent head coach.

Sartini agreed to a two-year deal through the 2023 season, the Whitecaps announced Tuesday.

Sartini was named interim coach on Aug. 27 after the Whitecaps dismissed Marc Dos Santos. The team fell to last place in the Western Conference in early August after an eight-game winless streak.

Under Sartini, Vancouver went 7-2-5 and made the playoffs before losing to Sporting Kansas City in the opening round.

Sartini, who is from Italy, has been with the Whitecaps organization since 2019 and was an assistant under Dos Santos for two seasons.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports