Orlando Pride stars Sydney Leroux and Ali Krieger criticized former U.S. women’s national team coach Jill Ellis in separate interviews, saying the coach created an unhealthy environment during her tenure leading the national team.
Ellis was the most successful women’s soccer coach in the sport’s history, leading the Americans to back-to-back World Cup victories. Yet her tenure was marked by criticism from fans, and some veteran players pushed for her removal from the position.
Ellis told Pro Soccer USA last year she wasn’t surprised by the players’ push to replace her after the team’s early exit from the Rio Olympics.