Ronny Deila on Atlanta United: “The team was too nice”

Atlanta United’s 2025 season hasn’t yet begun, but the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground was abuzz with activity today. Scarves and Spikes was one of a handful of journalists and media outlets who were able to speak one-on-one with new head coach Ronny Deila, to pick his brain on how he’s approaching this newest iteration of the Five Stripes.

“I don’t accept 90% in training because if you’re going to be consistent, you have to do what you do in training in games, so every day is a cup final,” Deila said when asked about how he approaches coaching individual players. “I’m a people coach, I’m very close to the players. You can be more honest, and when I say something, they will feel it. I like confrontation, and that’s because it’s about getting better all the time. That drive that I have, I think the players will feel it.”

Atlanta United has received some criticism in recent years due to a worrying trend that consisted of certain players, particularly those who were transferred in from other leagues, taking a downturn in their individual performances during their tenure with the club. When asked about how he’d combat this, Deila perked up and recalled some of his prior success stories, a list of talented names that are nothing to scoff at.

“It’s easy to say Virgil van Dijk and Martin Ødegaard, but I think also Hans Vanaken in [Club] Brugge was fantastic. Scott Brown in Celtic was special, Taty Castellanos is a very good football player, Santi Rodriguez…many, many players,” he recollected. “I feel that to work with people and to be a part of their development, that’s the most fantastic. That’s what we need, we need those players, and then it’s my job to get them to that environment that they go every day thinking about getting better. If they don’t want to get better, they have nothing here to do. I can accept mistakes, but in three months you don’t need to make the same mistakes you did yesterday.”

He also added how he’d implement Atlanta United 2, noting that he’d have some of those players in his training sessions. He also cautioned that he won’t have too many at once, simply because “having two players in the same position can ruin each other.” Deila also shared his philosophy on acquiring some of the young talent around the world, pointing out that “if the club has a fantastic 20 year old, you don’t sign a player in front of him. I don’t care what kind of age you are, I played Martin Ødegaard and he was 15 years old.”

As for the potential incoming players, Deila noted he’s looking for those with drive, calling out Brad Guzan as an example of the mindset he wants more of.

“That’s the reason he [Guzan] has had the career he’s had,” Deila noted. “I think they have it in them…but more of these types.”

Deila likened his role and the roles throughout the club to a school. The various leaders throughout the club – not simply the players and coaches, but those in every department – have to perform at a high level. If something isn’t going well with the “students,” he explained, and the teacher can’t fix it, their next step is to then notify the principal.

“I’m the principal,” he explained.

And finally, what does he want improved over 2024?

“I think that the team in general is too nice. We need to be more assholes, we need to be aggressive. We need to show that we want something and we have to carry that jersey. The players have to feel like ‘You don’t fuck with us.'”

Cheers to that, Ronny.

Catch the entire interview on our show tonight at 7 over on YouTube, and be sure to let us know your thoughts below!