Amid a season filled with fan protests and poor performance on the field, LA Galaxy has decided to cut ties with President Chris Klein.
Despite it being Klein’s 11th season with the club, his presence had caused some unrest among fans. In an email sent to supporters last month, the 47-year-old stated that he would resign if the team did not qualify for the MLS playoffs this year.
On Tuesday, May 30th, however, the Galaxy announced that Klein would be leaving the club immediately, regardless of what was said in the email.
"As a Club we have not achieved our goals or met the standard that we have established for the LA Galaxy," stated president and CEO of Galaxy parent company AEG Dan Beckerman in a press release.
"We believe it is in the best interest of the Club to make a change and begin a comprehensive process to seek new leadership that will return the Club to the level that our fans and partners expect. We are thankful to Chris for his years of dedication and commitment to the LA Galaxy as both a player and an executive."
In December of last year, Klein received a suspension and the team was fined $1 million by Major League Soccer. This was due to undisclosed payments that were made in 2019 concerning the transfer of Argentine attacker Cristian Pavon.
MLS has taken away $1 million in future general allocation money and has also prohibited the Galaxy from acquiring any international players during the summer transfer window.
After Klein's firing, Greg Vanney, Galxaxy coach and sporting director, will oversee all soccer operations and report directly to Beckerman.
"I'd like to thank Phil Anschutz and Dan Beckerman for the opportunity to serve as president for the LA Galaxy for the past 11 years," Klein said.
"My family and I love this club and I'm grateful to have spent 16 years with this organization as a player and an executive. Thank you to our supporters, partners, players, coaches, and staff for all of the passion, dedication and hard work."
The Galaxy will look to get out from the basement of the Western Conference this Wednesday as they take on Real Salt Lake away from home.
This article was originally published on 90min as LA Galaxy cut ties with club president Chris Klein.
