The Sounders held Fan Fest on the Longacres campus on Saturday, inviting season ticket holders to get a first look at their revamped annual business meeting. After being put on the back burner and held virtually in secret last year, the event returned with a bang, with the Alliance Council fielding questions on a wide range of topics from fans. Attendees got to hear from leaders on the business and athletic sides of the organization, as well as majority shareholder Adrian Hanauer. You can watch the full hour-and-a-half conversation here. Let’s dig into some of the highlights and what they mean.
Finance
It’s no secret that spending is on the rise across the league, and when asked about the Sounders’ competitiveness in the transfer market, Hanauer repeated a theme he highlighted in comments he made to Sounders at Heart earlier this season.
“No one likes to say it but our target is not to win the transfer market. Our target is to win the Championship and we achieve that with the right mix of players, the right efficiency, spending the right money at the right time in the right areas.”
“It’s a reality of where the league is heading and we need to be very smart about it.”
“The players are a big part of it. [of winning championships]and many more.”
“There’s a whole new breed of billionaire owners. But that doesn’t mean they’re always going to make smart decisions. We need to leverage our resources, generate more resources and deploy them in really smart ways.”
President of Business Operations Hugh Weber made it clear that the Sounders’ mission to win championships remains the same, but that to achieve that mission, the league’s growth requires the organization to grow.
“Our mission hasn’t changed. First and foremost, our job is to win championships, cups and make an impact in our community.”
“To remain competitive and continue to stay at the top of our game, we need the resources to do that.”
While the Sounders’ ownership team is spending heavily on the team’s new facility at Longacres, they also joined the ownership team that bought the Seattle Reign. Are those expenses hindering the Sounders’ finances and ability to recruit players? Hanauer assured us that the Reign acquisition has not affected the Sounders’ budget.
“These clubs are separately owned. They are separate organisations. There is absolutely no influence on each other and the clubs are in good financial shape.”