The L.A. Galaxy has won more championships than any other MLS team, picking up five trophies from 2002-2014. But now it is languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference — a place the Galaxy has found itself far too often in recent years.
Many fans believe there’s one man to blame: longtime president Chris Klein.
With a crucial home match against the Seattle Sounders on Friday, fans are planning elaborate and coordinated protests to show their displeasure with Klein.
“With Klein, it’s got to a stage where many supporters want him out regardless of what happens on the pitch,” said Andrew Alesana, president of the LA Riot Club fan club for the Galaxy (per The Athletic).
Klein’s tenure as president of the Galaxy has seen the club fall from defending champions to last in MLS standings. It’s marked by expensive designated player signings that never made much sense — from Steven Gerrard to Giovani Dos Santos — and turnover within the coaching staff.
The Galaxy has had plenty of backroom drama, too. Klein and the Galaxy were called out last fall by MLS for breaking the salary cap via the inaccurate registration of Cristian Pavon. The punishment was a $1M fine, a $1M reduction to the team’s allocation funds and a blanket transfer ban.
The Galaxy’s stumbles stand in stark contrast to the success of its crosstown rival, LAFC.
Since joining MLS in 2018, LAFC has become a powerhouse, winning its first MLS Cup in 2022. It is known for a fresh, flashy approach to the game — an approach that makes the Galaxy look old and sluggish by comparison.
“A lot of their stuff is very Hollywood, very glitz and glamour,” Alesana said of LAFC, per The Athletic. “All of that is very surface-level, but they do a better job of at least appearing to make their supporters feel heard and that they are part of the club. I do think Chris Klein wants to win, but he has not built a product that compares with theirs.”
Despite anger from fans and the looming threat of LAFC, Galaxy coach and sporting director Greg Vanney remains unmoved.
“There’s things out there that fans and supporters can impact, and there’s things that they’re probably not going to impact,” he told ESPN. “And so then it just becomes a distraction, because it’s not going to change anything … it’s probably not going to be ‘Chris out.'”
Something must change within the Galaxy to save its season. With no wins in its first four games, the team is among the league’s worst. Alesana believes the fan’s group protest is its only option for change.
“I think it will shock the Galaxy,” he said. “I think the Galaxy position is ‘let it go. Let it pass. Time heals all wounds’ kind of thing. But I don’t think this is going to be good for them.”
