Bruce Arena has decided to take his place on the sidelines on Sunday for the first time since taking over the New England Revolution, the Boston Globe reported on Friday.
Named the Revs' head coach and sporting director on May 14, Arena has begun his work with his new team in every respect save gameday duties in the technical area, citing a desire not to distract the squad.
“I’m always coaching. Coaches always coach. In the last year and a half, I’ve been the best NBA coach, NFL coach, baseball coach, and hockey coach,” a caustic Arena told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m like you guys. You know how smart you get when you’re not actually doing it every day and you can sit in the press box or in front of a television? You become a genius.
“The only thing I’ve failed to do is get on social media and really be a critic, but I’ll get there one day. Will I be on the field [Sunday]? I don’t know yet. If I think I’m going to be a distraction to the team, I won’t do it.”
But the five-time MLS Cup winner decided on Thursday that he will be on the bench, as will interim boss Mike Lapper, when New England visit his former team the LA Galaxy on Sunday (10:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+, on DAZN in Canada).
