Head Coach
RAPHAËL WICKY was appointed as Sporting KC’s head coach in January 2026 on a two-and-a-half-year contract through the 2027-28 season with a club option for the 2028-29 season. Wicky oversees the Sporting KC first team and reports directly to President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee.
Prior to joining Sporting, Wicky was at the helm of Swiss giants BSC Young Boys from 2022-2024, guiding the club to the 2022-23 Super League and Cup double in his native Switzerland. Appointed in June 2022, Wicky enjoyed a brilliant maiden season with Young Boys – winning the Swiss Super League with a 21-4-11 record and finishing 16 points clear at the summit. Wicky and Young Boys completed the domestic double by winning the Swiss Cup following a 3-2 victory over FC Lugano in the final on June 4, 2023.
The Leuggern, Switzerland native previously coached in the United States, leading the U.S. Under-17 National Team at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship and the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Wicky shifted to MLS for the following two years, serving as head coach of the Chicago Fire in 2020 and 2021.
Wicky began his coaching career in Switzerland as a youth coach with FC Thun and Servette FC before joining Swiss giants FC Basel in 2013. After coaching the club’s U-18 and U-21 teams, Wicky was named first team head coach ahead of the 2017-18 season. In his lone full season in charge, Basel posted a 29-11-9 record across all competitions and finished second in the Super League.
Wicky enjoyed a decorated 16-year playing career, highlighted by 75 caps with the Switzerland National Team. Wicky started every match for his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and also represented Switzerland at the 1996 and 2004 UEFA European Championships.
Wicky started his career with FC Sion in Switzerland where he won a Swiss Super League title and three Swiss Cups from 1993-1997. Wicky continued his career at German side Werder Bremen from 1997-2000, helping the team win the DFB-Pokal German Cup in 1999. Following a brief stint in Spain with Atletico Madrid in 2001, Wicky headed back to Germany and joined Hamburger SV where he spent the bulk of his career from 2001-2007, winning the DFL-Ligapokal German League Cup in 2003. Wicky returned to boyhood club Sion in 2007 before ending his playing career following a season in MLS with Chivas USA in 2008.