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The Chicago Stars are making another change on the sideline.
The club announced Wednesday that it has parted ways with head coach Martin Sjögren and assistant coach Anders Jacobson, ending Sjögren’s time with the club less than a full season after he was brought in to lead the team.
The move comes with Chicago sitting last in the NWSL standings at 4-13-1. The Stars have 13 points through 18 matches and have struggled to find consistency throughout the season.
Sjögren was hired in August 2025 with the expectation of helping turn around a Stars team that had finished at the bottom of the league the previous season. Before coming to Chicago, the Swedish coach had an extensive resume that included leading Linköping FC to an undefeated league season and Swedish championship, as well as coaching the Norwegian women's national team to the quarterfinals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
But Chicago's struggles continued into 2026.
Under Sjögren, the Stars recorded four wins, 13 losses and one draw. The team has scored 20 goals while allowing 44, leaving Chicago with a 24 goal difference.
The Stars did not cite a specific reason for the decision in their announcement.
Instead, the club said it is focused on building toward becoming a serious contender in the NWSL and beginning that process now and into the 2027 season.
“I think it was really good that Nadia took the shot, and it also gave us this feeling that we can actually score once again, and clench a point,” Sjögren said after Chicago's recent match against Racing Louisville.
That match was a reflection of a season in which Chicago repeatedly found itself fighting to stay in games rather than controlling them. The Stars eventually fell 2-1 to Louisville, despite a late goal from Nadia Gomes that gave Chicago a chance to salvage a point.
Sjögren also acknowledged the team's fight late in that match.
“I'm not very happy with the second half but I am happy with the way we ended it and the desperacy and the fighting spirit we showed when we got a 1-2 goal,” he said.
Now, the Stars will look to that fighting spirit under a new coaching staff.
Karina Báez will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2026 season. Báez has spent the past three seasons as an assistant with Chicago and previously held head-coaching experience in Mexico. She also worked with Liga MX Femenil clubs Pachuca and Tigres before becoming head coach of Pumas UNAM's women's team.
The club is also bringing back former head coach Lorne Donaldson as interim director of coaching through the end of the season. Donaldson will oversee the team's technical and analytical operations as Chicago begins rebuilding.
Nicole Lukic has also joined the technical staff as a full-time assistant coach, with her role focused on individual player development. Lukic most recently served as head coach of Spokane Zephyr FC and previously worked in talent identification with U.S. Soccer's women's national teams.
For the Stars, the coaching change is the latest in a long stretch of instability on the sideline. Chicago has gone through multiple coaching changes since the beginning of the 2025 season, with Sjögren becoming the latest permanent coach to depart.
The timing leaves Báez with a difficult task: stabilize a team with nine regular-season matches remaining while also helping lay the groundwork for a different Chicago Stars team in 2027.
She certainly has her work cut out of her. Her first opportunity comes Friday night, when Chicago travels to face the Seattle Reign.
The Stars enter that match looking for more than just a win. They are now looking for a fresh start.
