In the midst of a difficult season that saw fan demonstrations and the team sulking at the bottom of the Western Conference, the LA Galaxy has sacked president Chris Klein.

Even though Klein was in his 11th season with the Galaxy, his continuing presence had caused a great deal of discontent among fans this season. The former Galaxy player and American international informed fans in an email written last month that he would resign if the team missed the MLS playoffs this year.

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“As a Club we have not achieved our goals or met the standard that we have established for the LA Galaxy,” Dan Beckerman, president and CEO of Galaxy parent company AEG said.

“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.”

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Head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney will now report directly to Beckerman, Galaxy said.

Greg Vanney assumed management of the Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2021 with a five-year plan to bring Major League Soccer’s most successful franchise their sixth championship. However, things did not turn out as he had hoped owing to unanticipated events, and in Vanney’s first season in command the squad was unable to make the playoffs.

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The Galaxy have missed the playoffs four times in the past six seasons and currently have the worst record in MLS, with two wins and nine points from 14 games played. The club is also under a transfer ban for circumventing the league’s salary guidelines in 2019 — while Klein was in charge.

“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,” Klein said in a statement on Tuesday. “Thank you to our supporters, partners, players, coaches, and staff for all of the passion, dedication and hard work.”