Former USA head coach Bob Bradley had an ill-fated spell at Swansea City but restored his reputation at Los Angeles FC. He's now managing in Norway.

Bob Bradley is an American soccer coach who is currently manager of Norwegian club Stabaek.

Bradley has had several coaching roles, most notably taking charge of the US Men's National Team (USMNT) from 2006 to 2011, where he led the team to the  the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup crown.

Bradley was also assistant coach to Bruce Arena at DC United from 1996 to 1997, winning back-to-back MLS Cup titles under his old mentor before beating him in the 1998 final with Chicago Fire.

He won the Supporters' Shield with Los Angeles FC in 2019 and the 2020 Canadian Championship with Toronto.

Early managerial career

Bradley headed up Ohio University Bobcats's NCAA Division I programme in 1981 when he was in his early 20s. After two seasons, he moved to the University of Virginia, where he served as an assistant coach and scout under Bruce Arena.

In 1984, Bradley took up the managerial reigns at his alma mater, Princeton University. He was in charge for 11 years and won two Ivy League titles, reaching the NCAA final four in 1993.

In 1996, he was appointed as Arena's assistant for the inaugural MLS season with DC United. The newly formed team won back-to-back MLS Cup titles. He was also the assistant coach of the USA Under-23 team at the Atlanta Olympics, again under Arena.

Getting his chance with Chicago Fire

Bradley became coach of the newly assembled Chicago Fire in 1998 and led them to the MLS Cup and US Open Cup double. In 2000, he led Fire to another US Open Cup title. Two years later, he left to return to New Jersey, taking over the MetroStars.

Bradley continued to build a name for himself as a head coach by leading the MetroStars and then Chivas USA into the MLS play-offs.

Bob Bradley and the USMNT

Following a disappointing group stage exit at the 2006 World Cup in Germany under Arena, Bradley was appointed head coach of the USMNT.

Initially, he was hired on an interim basis with the expectation that he would be replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann. However, after US Soccer failed to strike an agreement with Klinsmann and on the back of a series of solid performances, Bradley's appointment became permanent.

A volley from Benny Feilhaber earned USA a 2-1 win over Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2007, while a young squad struggled at that year's Copa America tournament.

At the FIFA 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, USA punched above their weight. They beat defending European champions Spain 2-0 in the semi-finals, ending Spain's 35-game unbeaten streak and 15-game winning streak. However, in the tournament final, USA squandered a 2-0 lead to Brazil to lose the match 3-2.

At the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Bradley's mostly second-string side lost 5-0 to Mexico in the final. However, a 3-2 victory at Honduras secured USA's place in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

USA finished top of Group C after drawing 1-1 with England in a match notable for Rob Green's goalkeeping blunder, which saw the ball creep through his legs, then picking up another draw against Slovenia and beating Algeria 1-0 thanks to Landon Donovan's goal.

In the round-of-16, USA were eliminated by Ghana 2-1 after extra time following a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes.

In the final of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, USA threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 to Mexico. On July 28, 2011, Bradley was dismissed and replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann.

Further international exposure with Egypt

Bradley took over the Egyptian national team following his USA exit, officially taking charge on October 15, 2011.

Following the Port Said Stadium riot on February 1, 2012, which saw 74 people killed at a match between Al Masry and Al Ahly, the Egyptian Premier League was suspended. However, Bradley chose to continue in his job.

Bradley was not kept on after Egypt failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, he played a role in the development of Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, who has gone on to become one of the best players in world soccer.

Ill-fated spell at Swansea City

After his spell in charge of Egypt, Bradley moved on to Stabaek and then Le Havre. He then became the first American to manage a Premier League club when Swansea City appointed him on October 3, 2016.

Bradley's appointment was unpopular with supporters and he was sacked on December 27, 2016 after only 11 matches in charge.

He won two matches, drew two and lost seven. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins reacted to his sacking by saying: "We are sorry to lose Bob after such a short period of time. Unfortunately things haven't worked out as planned and we felt we had to make the change with half the Premier League season remaining.

"Personally, I have nothing but praise for Bob. He is a good man; a good person who gave everything to the job. His work-rate is phenomenal and we wish him well for the future."

Bradley, meanwhile, reacted to his sacking by claiming owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan had been too reactionary in getting rid of him.

"I was disappointed that when a few balls don't bounce our way and we lose a few points, that they [Kaplan and Levien] let outside factors get in the way of the decision-making," he said.

"They became more concerned by the negative atmosphere instead of realising this was a project and that we needed to stick to the plan."

Return to the US with Los Angeles FC

On July 27, 2017, Los Angeles FC appointed Bradley as their head coach ahead of their MLS debut in 2018.

He led LAFC to the 2019 Supporters' Shield but left by mutual consent in November 2021 after the club failed to make the play-offs.

Personal life

Bradley's son, Mike Bradley, played for him with the US men's national team. His brother, Scott Bradley, played for several Major League Baseball teams in the 1980s and 1990s. His daughter, Ryan, is married to professional soccer player Andy Rose, who is currently with Vancouver Whitecaps.

Bob Bradley's net worth

Bradley's net worth is believed to be around $12million.