Giovanni Savarese signs multi-year contract extension with Portland Timbers

Opposing MLS teams should hide their locker room whiteboards, because Gio is gonna be around to joyously bang on them for a little longer.

The Portland Timbers announced today that Giovanni Savarese has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain as head coach of the team. The extension runs through 2025, with a club option for 2026.

“Gio has a proven track record of success in MLS, and we are excited to officially announce his extension as the head coach of the Portland Timbers,” technical director Ned Grabavoy said of the extension. “We are thrilled that he’ll continue to be our on-field leader for years to come and he will certainly play a major role in helping the club continue to progress.”

Savarese has led the Timbers to the MLS Cup Playoffs in four out of the five seasons he has been at the helm. He’s led the team to two Western Conference championships and two MLS Cup finals (in 2018 and 2021) in his tenure as well.

2022 marked the first year that his side did not reach the postseason while he was in charge, after a loss on the final day of the season caused them to just miss out. Despite the recent disappointment, Savarese has proven that he is a coach that knows how to win in MLS.

In addition to making two MLS Cup finals, Savarese coached the Timbers to win the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando during the summer of 2020. He has amassed a 82-58-45 record in all competitions during his time with the club, and the 68 regular season wins he has amassed since his arrival at the club in 2018 is tied for the third-most among MLS coaches during that span.

“This is something that has been in the works since the MLS Cup last season, and for me, what felt right was to stay in Portland,” Savarese said of his new deal. “I love the passion and the energy that our fans bring, and I believe in Portland as a soccer city. I’m honored to lead this team and plan to continue to help the team be competitive and build something bigger so we can make the fans very proud.”

The Timbers organization is entering a very uncertain offseason. President of soccer Gavin Wilkinson is out after over a decade dictating soccer operations for the club, and questions are swirling as to whether club owner and former CEO Merritt Paulson will remain as owner.

Because of that, retaining Savarese is a significant piece of continuity that the club can lean on. He is the fifth longest tenured head coach in MLS, and will no doubt be an integral part of what is shaping up to be a busy and critical offseason for the boys in green.

You can read the club’s full press release on Savarese’s extension here.