In response to boycotting fans, the LA Galaxy organization has attempted to calm the groups and has said it has listened to their concerns. However, President Chris Klein and Technical Director Jovan Kirovski have not been removed from their positions. This has caused a great deal of frustration among the team’s supporters, who have been protesting since February. The Galaxy has been in a slow decline since 2014, when they won the MLS Cup, and the rise of LAFC has only compounded the issue. The Galaxy has also been penalized for having too many designated players on their roster in 2019, and the decision to grant Klein a multi-year contract extension was the final straw for the supporters.
The groups have made it clear that they will not be attending games until Klein and Kirovski are gone, and the Galaxy is feeling the pressure. Ticket sales for the team’s season opener against LAFC at the Rose Bowl are approaching 70,000, but the atmosphere is sure to be different without the supporters. LA Riot Squad President Andrew Alesana believes it will be “shocking” for the Galaxy, and Galaxy Outlawz President Manny Martinez said the lack of transparency and accountability has been too much.
Klein and Kirovski have both been in their positions for a long time, and Klein has said he takes responsibility for what happened. However, he remains at the helm and has said he signed a multi-year extension to do so. Kirovski has been credited with signing players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Riqui Puig, and Douglas Costa, but he has also been criticized for signing players like Giovani dos Santos. Despite this, Galaxy Athletic Director and Manager Greg Vanney believes Kirovski understands the vision of how he wants to play and works well with him.
The Galaxy met with the supporters on January 17th, where CEO of AEG Dan Beckerman supported Klein and spoke about how he does things behind the scenes. The Galaxy is still hoping to find a solution and for the supporters to show up, but for now, the boycott continues.