What happened to the Los Angeles Galaxy? From the most important franchise in the MLS to a crisis that perhaps started with the 'Beckham rule'
Attention to the MLS has increased in recent months. The reason for this is the new strategies of the American league, but above all the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, in the wake of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Something similar had happened in the past, but without the league making a decisive leap forward and competing with the European leagues. As recently as 2007, David Beckham's move to the LA Galaxy was revolutionary in some respects. Beckham completely changed the perception of American soccer at the end of the 2000s by doing some image work and raising the general level of the league, which brought about many changes.
The resulting 'Beckham Rule', officially known as the Designated Player Rule, actually changed the MLS football market completely, as the rule allowed teams to sign up to three players outside their salary cap and made it easier to sign international stars. This began a period of unprecedented dominance for the Galaxy, with other stars such as Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan leading the team to two Supporters' Shield and three MLS Cup victories between 2010 and 2014. The famed dynasty thus cemented the Galaxy's status as the powerhouse of American soccer, becoming the league's premier team, in the city of spectacle and spectacle
But aside from the outdated system of player recruitment, the front office itself is heavily dysfunctional. When the Galaxy signed Cristian Pavòn in 2019, for example, the club went over their salary budget, something that is only allowed if you classify the player in question as a Designated Player. The Galaxy did not do that with Pavòn, and as a result, in December 2022, they were hit with a transfer ban, a $1 million fine from the salary budget, and a suspension for now former club president Chris Klein. Klein, who was recently fired from his position, was replaced with current head coach Greg Vanney. So, now you have an organization with a transfer ban on its head, a $1 million fine to pay, and a coach that has only produced poor results taking on the additional responsibility of club president.
Understandably, the Galaxy supporters are not happy with the situation, and many of them have taken to protesting. On January 13th, 2023, when Klein was still controversially at the club, five of the biggest LA Galaxy organized supporter groups (the Galaxians, the Angels City Brigade, the LA Riot Squad, the Galaxy Outlawz, and the Ghosts Ultras Galaxy) threatened to boycott games if Klein stayed with the team, and this caused attendance to go down to all-time lows. Never has the Galaxy’s average attendance been this low in over 14 years, and for the first time since the MLS inception in 1996, the Galaxy are not in the top 10 for league-wide attendance. The fans are done with the entire organization and want change, but just like with the Galaxy’s transfer strategies, it is hard to envision a near future where this happens. And now, with LAFC’s recent success, the Galaxy lost their monopoly on the big, powerful market that is the city of Los Angeles. The pull and influence that characterized this team at the beginning of the 2010s is diminishing with each passing day, and if the front office doesn’t align itself with the MLS’ trajectory, the LA Galaxy will have a tough time returning to winning ways.
