LA Galaxy president Chris Klein is out

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, May 30, 2023

In a move brewing for months, the LA Galaxy, last in MLS's overall standings with a 2-9-3 record, parted ways with Chris Klein, its president for the last 11 years.

The Galaxy won the last of its record five MLS titles in 2014 but has struggled since then, failing to make the playoffs in four of the last six seasons and getting no further than the conference semifinals in the other two seasons.

In December, MLS issued sanctions on the Galaxy for violating league rules regarding the 2019 acquisition of Argentine Cristian Pavon. They included a $1 million fine, a $1 million loss of General Allocation Money and a transfer ban from registering any international players during this summer's transfer window.

In addition, Klein was banned from any involvement in the primary transfer window that ended in May. Despite these sanctions, the Galaxy renewed Klein's contract, which has expired at the end of 2022.

Supporters have demanded the departure of Klein, a former Galaxy player. Many supporters' groups have boycotted Galaxy home games over the decision to retain Klein and also keep technical director Jovan Kirovski.

Head coach Greg Vanney took on responsibility of player personnel decisions as sporting director when Klein was suspended.

In a team release, the Galaxy said Vanney will continue to lead all soccer operations and reported directly to Beckerman.
 
“As a club, we have not achieved our goals or met the standard that we have established for the LA Galaxy,” said Dan Beckerman, President and CEO of AEG. “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.”