When the Orlando City coach first arrived at Exploria Stadium in December 2019, his goal was simple — break the Lions’ cycle of coming up short.
During one season, Pareja transformed the Lions into playoff contenders, instilling his “protagonist” mindset into players and fans alike. But his focus has already shifted to the future.
“This year was trying to get the team out of that darkness,” Pareja said. “Now that we know how to win, we need to sustain this.”
From the beginning, Pareja was always the Lions’ No. 1 pick. When the club began its search in 2019, Pareja was the first name suggested by executive vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi.