Galaxy parts ways with president Chris Klein amid dismal season

Struggling through the worst start to a season in team history, the Galaxy on Tuesday relieved embattled president Chris Klein of his duties.

The Galaxy (2-9-3) are last in the 29-team MLS and have a losing over the past seven seasons. The team hasn’t played in an MLS Cup final since 2014, its longest drought.

“As a club we have not achieved our goals or met the standard that we have established for the Galaxy,” Dan Beckerman, the CEO and president of AEG, the team’s parent company, said in a statement. “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 Galaxy as both a player and an executive.”

A former standout midfielder for the Galaxy and U.S. national team, Klein was named club president in 2013 and helped the team to an MLS Cup a year later. He was signed to a five-year extension in 2017, after the team’s worst season to date, then re-signed to another multi-year extension last winter at about the same time the Galaxy were being fined $2 million and prohibited from signing a player in the summer transfer window for violating league rules during the 2019 signing for winger Cristian Pavón.

The Galaxy’s four main supporters’ groups announced a boycott of the team in the wake of Klein’s re-signing and attendance at home games has dropped markedly this season.

“I’d like to thank Phil Anschutz and Dan Beckerman for the opportunity to serve as president for the Galaxy for the past 11 years,” Klein said in a statement issued by the team. “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.”