PORTLAND, Ore. — Phil Neville will be the Portland Timbers' new head coach, the club announced Monday. Neville agreed to a multi-year contract that will keep him in Portland through 2026. He's the Timbers' fourth head coach.
Neville's hiring was met with pushback from Timbers fans due to sexist and misogynistic social media posts from Neville's past. During a news conference on Tuesday at Providence Park, Portland general manager Ned Grabavoy said the team spoke with up to 20 candidates for the vacancy. The past controversy over the posts made Portland more diligent about vetting him.
"I think the longer that time went on, I felt more and more comfortable that Phil was the right choice for this club without question," Grabavoy said. "I do point back to — there’s a lot of staff, technical staff, staff on the business side. I work with these people daily. I know how much these people care about the club. Never would this decision be made if there wasn’t full conviction that Phil is the right person and is the right person now."
Neville, 46, replaces longtime coach Giovanni Savarese, who was fired in August after six seasons with the club.
Neville comes to Portland after he was let go by his former club, Inter Miami, after two-plus seasons. He went 31-41-11 with Inter Miami. The Athletic reported he coached Inter Miami during a "roster rebuild through sanctions [for violations prior to Neville's arrival] and budget restrictions." He was also the head coach for England's women's national team. The Athletic reported he was a candidate for "several other MLS clubs' head-coaching vacancies this year."
Prior to coaching, Neville played 19 seasons in England's Premier League for Manchester United and Everton FC.
"I am massively excited about the challenge ahead, and from the very first moment I met the staff I knew it was the right opportunity for me, the right club for me and the right city for me," Neville said in Monday's news release. "The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this journey is going to be something special. I have great memories visiting Portland, which reminds me of Manchester, my hometown, and I can't wait for my family to get to know this beautiful city."
When news broke late last week that the Timbers were on the verge of hiring Neville, it was met by pushback from fans upset about sexist and misogynistic social media posts from Neville's past.
In 2018, shortly after he was hired to coach the England women's national team, the Washington Post reported that Neville deleted his Twitter account and apologized for a series of sexist and misogynistic tweets he made in 2011 and 2012. "I would like to clarify that they were not and are not a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs," he said at the time.
Among the tweets he came under fire for was one that said, "Relax, I'm back chilled- just battered the wife!!! Feel better now!" In another, he wrote, when asked why women weren't watching cricket on television, he said he thought they'd be "busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making beds." In a third, he tweeted that women "always wanted equality until comes to paying the bills #hypocrites".
Neville addressed the tweets during Tuesday's news conference.
"The tweets that I put out were wrong in 2011 and they’re wrong today," he said.
Timbers Army voiced its displeasure with the potential move in a social media post Friday afternoon, asking the team to reconsider the hire and reevaluate other candidates.
"The Portland Timbers are currently rebuilding a team on the pitch in addition to their ongoing efforts to rebuild trust with their fans and the community," the group said in its social media post. "We are deeply disappointed that the club has reportedly settled on a finalist for head coach who has a history of sexist public statements that run counter to our ethos as a club, city and supporters' group, and who also lacks a proven track record as a manager. We urge the Timbers to reconsider this hire and reevaluate other candidates before finalizing a contract."
Neville said he would like to meet with the supporters to address concerns personally.
"I think the big part of this city is the supporters. And I think the statement that they put out showed that this club cares about their people," he said. "In reference to the tweets that I made in 2011, I think I addressed these in 2019 when I was named the head coach of the England women’s team, that by no means are they a reflection of me as a person and my character."
Multiple scandals have rocked the Timbers and Portland Thorns in recent years. One year ago, Merritt Paulson removed himself as CEO of the club after an independent investigation found widespread, systematic misconduct and abusive behavior in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). U.S. Soccer commissioned the investigation after former NWSL and Portland Thorns players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward in 2021 with harassment and sexual coercion allegations dating back a decade involving former coach Paul Riley. He was one of multiple coaches cited in the reports. Riley, who denied the allegations, was permanently banned by the NWSL. In the wake of the investigation, the Timbers and Thorns fired president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson and president of business Mike Golub.
Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press contributed to this report.