Frank de Boer is a candidate to become the next manager of Atlanta United, multiple sources have told ESPN FC.
Atlanta has officially been without a manager since Tata Martino stepped down after winning the 2018 MLS Cup 2-0 over the Portland Timbers. But the Five Stripes had known about Martino's status long before that time, with the club announcing back in October that the Argentine would leave.
De Boer, 48, was most recently the manager of Premier League side Crystal Palace, but was fired just five games into the 2017-18 campaign, a spell in which the team failed to score a single goal in league play.
He had a similarly brief stint with Inter Milan, where he was manager for just 85 days.
Former Boca Juniors manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto has been linked with the job, but team president Darren Eales told ESPN FC in an interview back in November that he wanted the next manager to carry on Martino's tactical approach of possession with high-pressing, a preference that would appear to hint at a hiring other than Schelotto.
De Boer's most successful spell as a manager came during a six-year tenure with Ajax, a period where the club won four Eredivisie titles. Prior to that he was an assistant with the Netherlands national team under Bert van Marwijk from 2008 to 2010, a period in which the Dutch reached the final of the 2010 World Cup only to lose to Spain.
As a player, De Boer enjoyed a stellar career, most notably with Ajax, Barcelona, Galatasaray and Rangers. With Ajax he won five Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, a Johan Cruyff Shield, a UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 1995. With Barcelona he won a league title in 1998-99.
De Boer made 112 appearances for the Netherlands, scoring 13 goals. He was part of the World Cup teams in 1994 and 1998, with the latter team reaching the semifinals. He also played in the European Championships in 1992, 2000 and 2004.