After winning the NASL Championship just a few days ago, The Cosmos are entering what could be the most turbulent offseason in the club’s history. Their league, home stadium, and manger situation are all up in the as of right now. Over the next couple of days, I hope to offer some food for thought on what the Cosmos could do next:

Will Gio Savarese stay?

The past couple of weeks many rumors have been circulating about Gio. He’s wanted by many teams, and he’s even apparently been interviewed by the Seattle Sounders last summer after Sigi Schmid parted ways with the team. He also came close to becoming manager of Minnesota United FC, but the move fell through due to the Cosmos’ insistence on a transfer fee. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gio decided to move on. He’s done so much for the club and it’s hard to top his 3 NASL championships in four years. The move would also make sense for Savarese considering the both the club’s on field success and off the field uncertainty.

If Gio were to leave, I think the top choice to be the new head coach should be current assistant coach Alecko Eskandarian. Alecko has been a part of Savarese’s coaching staff since 2013 and his experiences as both Gio’s right hand man as well as Cosmos B head coach qualifies him for the job. As his father, Andranik Eskandarian played for the club and exposed him to it at a young age, Alecko understands the values of both the old-school and modern New York Cosmos. Although Eskandarian is relatively young and his coaching career is just beginning, he is on a very similar path to the one Savarese took. Gio started out as the Director of the Cosmos Academy and U-23 head coach.

Of course I would love if Gio Savarese decided to stay another year, but If he were to leave I think Eskandarian would be a great replacement. His appointment would follow the vision of the reboot Cosmos from the beginning- acknowledging the past while looking towards the future. What do you think Cosmos Country? Leave a comment below and have your say!