Montreal Impact fire head coach Frank Klopas, name Mauro Biello as interim

MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact fired head coach Frank Klopas early Sunday morning.

Assistant coach Mauro Biello will take over on an interim basis.

Biello, 43, is in his sixth year on the Impact coaching staff. He joined Montreal in 2009 after a 19-year professional playing career, including 16 years in an Impact uniform.

The move comes hours after Montreal fell 2-1 to Toronto FC — its third loss of the week and fourth straight defeat in league games.

Montreal (8-11-5) has picked up just 11 points out of a possible 33 in its last 11 outings — a 3-6-2 stretch that started with a 3-1 loss in Toronto on June 24.

The Impact are one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 11 games left in the regular season.

Klopas was in his second season as Montreal’s head coach after joining the team in December 2013.

Under his guidance, the Impact won the Amway Canadian Championship last year and finished second this season after falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday.

Montreal had lots of hype surrounding the team after signing former Chelsea star Didier Drogba following a trade with the Chicago Fire in late July.

Drogba (toe) along with Ignacio Piatti (calf) missed the Impacts’ game in Toronto on Saturday.

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With files from Neil Davidson of The Canadian Press