Klein expressed similar sentiments when it came to his track record. Since 2014, the Galaxy have missed the playoffs four times and haven’t progressed past the conference semifinals. This has led to accusations that owner AEG cares only about finances and not on-field performance.
“I know that they want accountability, and there’s some decisions that have been made in the past that if I could go back and change them, I would, but I can’t,” Klein said. “I’m incredibly optimistic about where we are right now and going into the third year under Greg’s leadership.”
The fans also are calling for the firing of Kirovski, who has managed to stay in his current role throughout the past decade, regardless of who the manager or GM was, or how the team performed. Pinning down where his responsibilities begin and end has been something of a mystery. One former colleague, who asked not to be identified, said that Kirovski “did whatever he wanted.” While he was hailed for clinching the deals that brought in the likes of Ibrahimovic and Riqui Puig, others like Douglas Costa and Kevin Cabral haven’t fared as well. Kirovski was widely viewed as pushing for players whom managers didn’t want — the disappointing Giovani dos Santos is a prime example — although that’s a sentiment that Klein has previously denied.
But Kirovski has the trust of both Vanney and Klein. Kirovski was teammates with both back in his playing days, and Vanney feels Kirovski’s contacts allow him to sit at the table with sporting directors from around the world. Vanney said there’s also “zero confusion” about where Kirovski’s responsibilities begin and end.
“He and I work well together,” Vanney said of Kirovski. “He has an understanding of the vision of how I want to play.”
In a bid to bring supporters back into the fold, the Galaxy met with the groups on Jan. 17. The Galaxy were represented by Vanney and Dan Beckerman, CEO of AEG. According to Alesana, Beckerman backed Klein and spoke of how he does things behind the scenes that fans don’t see.
The fact that, according to the Los Angeles Times, the Galaxy set revenue records last year for ticket sales and sponsorship provides some insight as to why Klein is valued. It also raises the question: What does AEG value more: a successful business or a winning team? The past 10 years have shown you can have one without the other, although at some point, a lack of on-field success is bound to affect the business side of things.
In the meeting, Vanney also attempted to share his plans for the club going forward. He told ESPN that the Galaxy need to do a better job of “telling our story.”
None of what Beckerman and Vanney had to say was convincing, so much so that the supporters’ groups collectively decided that a meeting scheduled for Jan. 27, with Klein in attendance, wouldn’t be productive. The two sides haven’t met since. “I’ve had this meeting before. I’ve had this meeting before with Klein, one-on-one,” Alesana said. “I’ve been listened to for a long time, and nothing’s changed, so I don’t see this meeting leading to anything positive for us.”
The staying power of such a protest is always an open question. As the Timbers fans’ protest over the Iron Front flag showed, dialogue is usually the path forward. That doesn’t seem available at the moment. Can fans stay away, even if the team does well?
“It’s going to hurt. Even if the team doesn’t do well, it still hurts,” Martinez said. “You ask the players to sacrifice their bodies, game in, game out, for the crest, the jersey, the team, the coach. We are out there with them, but when we feel that we’re not being valued, it’s kind of a slap in the face to us. It’s heartbreaking.”
The home game on March 18 will reveal how much.
