Rifts in Charlotte FC fanbase showing
Plus: Privett's new long-term contract, Swiderski's Italian job, Reus chances, viral video on mental health, previewing Philadelphia match and more
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Two of the founding supporters groups have left leadership council, including Blue Furia, which dropped out in protest of fallout from fan fight
Charlotte FC supporters have shown signs of divisiveness in recent weeks. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Just as Charlotte FC has seemed to find its footing as a team â building a solid base with a âtogethernessâ mantra under the tutelage of Coach Dean Smith â divisions among the Charlotte FC fanbase have come to the surface.
For the better part of the first two seasons, various supporters groups â from the largest, Mint City Collective, to the newest, South Charlotte, this year â seemed to be working together to create one of the best home advantages in Major League Soccer. They teamed up to create chants, make tifo artwork and help establish a raucous atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium.
But âvibesâ at games this season have not been as strong, and problems have been building behind the scenes for months, The Ledger has learned. Ultimately, when a fight broke out between leaders of two of the groups, Blue Furia and Carolina Hooliganz, after a game on April 13, that proved just a tipping point in tensions that had been building.
Blue Furia president Juliana Gregory was rushed to the hospital with a bloody face after the incident on April 13. Charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spokesperson.
Last week, the supporters council, which is made up of the president and vice president of five major fan groups, announced sanctions against both Blue Furia and Carolina Hooliganz in an effort to cool tensions between the groups and avoid further incidents. Blue Furia received a three-game suspension from the pre-game tailgate at the McNinch Lot and was forbidden to bring flags or banners bearing its name into the supporters section. Hooliganz received a five-game suspension. Sources said members of both groups had confronted each other in a parking lot the night Gregory was injured.
Within three days of receiving sanctions, Blue Furia announced on Instagram it was leaving the âRoyal Familyâ Council:
Blue Furia said that âafter the recent event that transpired against our Blue Furia president, we feel that proper justice has not been served.â
One leader of Carolina Hooliganz had been banned for a year from MLS stadiums for her actions in an argument that started inside the stadium, serving as a precursor to the altercation after the game. Another leader was suspended from attending two games. The club and stadium officials maintain that when a situation occurs outside the stadium â the confrontation took place outside of Clutch Restaurant and Bar on Cedar Street â discipline is ultimately up to law enforcement.
Members of multiple other fan groups have indicated that problems existed between groups â often Blue Furia and other groups â well before mid-April. Among the issues were disputes over how Charlotte FCâs fan culture aligned with that of other parts of the world. Blue Furia has a largely South American influence. Carolina Hooliganz is largely Central American. And Mint City, Southbound & Crown and others have European soccer traditions weaved into the mix. Southbound & Crown, one of the founding groups of Charlotte FCâs fanbase, pulled out of the council weeks before Blue Furia did.
Why does it matter? Unlike more typical American sports, soccer provides fans unique access to players and teams. Members of supporters groups can provide input into decisions about the fan experience. They receive invitations to team events, access to road game tickets and more, in exchange for the time and commitment they offer the club. For example, 20 members of each of the five groups on the Royal Family council were invited to meet winger Liel Abada at his introductory press conference at the teamâs practice facility in early April. Juli Gregory was pictured at the facility with coach Dean Smith after his introductory press conference in the winter.
Why does it matter within the stadium? Blue Furia is one of the most spirited groups in the fanbase and often provided four or five drummers, or about half of the drum line that accompanies chants on any given week. Supporters had to scramble last Saturday to get seven drummers, rather than the usual nine or 10.
Blue Furia held its own tailgate at a different location and marched separately to the stadium. I was not at Saturdayâs game, but sources said that members of the group stood still holding outstretched âBlue Furiaâ scarves during the âPoznan,â where fans turn their backs to the field and jump up and down in a pre-game tradition the club adopted in its inaugural season. Some said Blue Furia did some of its own chants rather than always joining the rest of the supporters section in unison.
Interestingly, though, many on social media commented that fans were as loud as theyâve been all season Saturday night. Maybe they were trying to compensate for the lack of togetherness, or trying to outdo the other.
Itâs unrealistic to expect hundreds of people to agree all the time, especially when passions are high and alcohol is in the mix. Itâs also unrealistic to say âvibesâ at the stadium have been as high this season as the first two.
You can make a case itâs the strife among supporters groups, rainy weather, competition with events like the Lovinâ Life Music Fest or a team lacking in star (or offensive fire) power at this point.
You can also make a case that fans of the same team pulling in different directions is not a good look. Are these growing pains of a third-year franchise? Perhaps. Are changes coming or needed? Probably so.
Privett signs new contract, as team invests in younger players; âThereâs no place Iâd rather beâ
Center back Andrew Privett blanketing Nashville striker Sam Sorridge in 1-0 win May 11. (Photo by Kevin Young of the 5 and 2 Project.)
Despite its lack of star power, Charlotte FC has been playing winning soccer. Its youth movement is a big reason why.
Since Enzo Copettiâs departure, the team has been without three designated players, who can be signed without regard to salary cap. But in four games so far in May, the team hasnât lost, winning three and tying one.
Center back Andrew Privett is a big part of that. The converted midfielder and third-round pick in the 2023 SuperDraft is playing some of the best defense of his young career to help Charlotte FC post four consecutive shutouts. He was rewarded for that with a new contract. The club announced Thursday that it had signed Privett, 23, through the 2028 season with an option for 2029.
âIt is a great feeling knowing Iâm staying in Charlotte,â Privett told reporters. âThereâs no place Iâd rather be. So Iâm really, really happy.â
Privett, striker Patrick Agyemang and Ben Bender, who is on the brink of returning from knee surgery, are prime examples of the talent Charlotte FC has mined through the college pathway, when top players often come up through the Academy ranks.
âThis new contract demonstrates our commitment to developing and rewarding young college players through the SuperDraft, a talent acquisition mechanism that we have consistently found high value in,â Charlotte FC general manager and sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement.
Privett wasnât highly sought after, falling to 69th overall in the draft. But Charlotteâs scouts liked what they saw in his ability on the ball, his use of both feet, his knack for escaping pressure in any direction and his comfort on both offense and defense. It might be former coach Christian Lattanzioâs most lasting legacy that he was the one to convert Privett from a midfielder to center back.
Privett has started 31 consecutive games in all competitions for Charlotte FC and joins captain Ashley Westwood and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina as the only players to play all 1,260 minutes so far this season. Privett helped shut down Nashville striker Sam Surridge in a 1-0 win over Nashville on May 11 and blocked three shots while earning âMan of the Matchâ in a 0-0 draw last Saturday against L.A. Galaxy.
âHeâs a quick learner,â Coach Dean Smith said. âHe wants to get better. Heâs one of those players who is really low-maintenance for a coach.â
Swiderski set to stay with Italian club
Technically, Karol Swiderski is still on temporary loan with Hellas Verona of Italyâs top league, Serie A, and will be through June 30, but that loan is set to become permanent, given this weekâs developments in Italian soccer. Translation: Swiderski will not be back to Charlotte.
There was a provision in the agreement that requires Verona to buy Swiderskiâs contract if the club avoided finishing in the bottom three of Serie A. It will now achieve that: Verona avoided relegation to a lower league in its second-to-last game this season by defeating Salernitana on Monday 2-1. That assured Verona of 37 points, placing it safely ahead of at least three other teams, regardless of what happens in Sundayâs season finale.
Krneta has said on multiple occasions that even if Verona were sent down to the lower league, Swiderski would not be back in Charlotte. (That even if Verona was relegated, a deal would likely be arranged with another club.) Swiderski, who was Charlotte FCâs first-ever designated player â or star player signed with less regard to the salary cap â had lobbied to play in Europe, which Charlotte FC took as time to move on from the Polish forward.
Eye on summer transfer window: Tom Bogert of The Athletic reported Sunday that Charlotte FC was pursuing German legend Marco Reus, the 34-year-old attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund of the top German league. The Ledger has confirmed that Reus was indeed on Charlotte FCâs discovery list, giving Krneta first dibs at negotiating with the international. Reus is reportedly not interested in coming to Charlotte, however, which means if nothing else, Charlotte could command more than $500,000 to sell his discovery rights to another MLS team. The L.A. Galaxy appears to be the frontrunner.
A touching viral video shares the story of a teenage fan who battled depression
Charlotte FCâs content team released a touching video this week about a teenage fan named Caroline Love who has battled mental illness and used her love for Charlotte FC as inspiration throughout her treatment. In the video, the club surprised Love with an introduction to her favorite player, Kristijan Kahlina, an invitation to practice and a chance to walk on the field with Kahlina during pre-game introductions.
In the video, team captain Ashley Westwood was moved to tears when he read a letter to the team from Loveâs parents.
Smith said Thursday he was pleasantly surprised to find out members of his former English Premier League club, Aston Villa, had watched the video when he spoke to them that morning.
âThat made me really proud,â Smith said. â⊠As I said to the players during the meeting about Caroline and her family, sometimes weâre not aware of the impact we can have. ⊠Itâs important to be aware of that impact. (Love) was almost fearless. It was great to see somebody whoâd gone through the problems she had come out the other side and hopefully continues to be that strong person.â
Itâs a powerful piece. Good luck keeping dry eyes!
Up Next: Charlotte FC (6-5-3) vs Philadelphia Union (4-4-5)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
How to watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Find information about how to subscribe for the season here.
How to listen: WFNZ 92.7 in English, WOLS 106.1 in Spanish.
Notable:
Charlotte FC is undefeated in May, with three wins and a draw â all without allowing a goal. The shutouts have come so fast and furious that Smith is falling behind on his promises to buy wine for members of the backline. A new crate was due in today. Smith said heâs already given wine to the back four defenders and goalkeeper, as well as defenders on the bench. For the next âclean sheets,â Smith told Sam Spencer of The Soccer Sheet, that heâs planning to divvy up wine to the entire team. âItâs a team game,â he said. âAnd you always defend from the front.â
Winger Liel Abada is on the verge of returning from a quadriceps strain. Smith said he wanted to see him practice Friday before deciding if heâs ready to return Saturday in what would be his first action since April 27.
Winger Brecht Dejaegere is serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Ben Bender built on his 45-minute shift for Crown Legacy last week with more minutes in an in-house training game Monday. Smith said he is in contention to play Saturday. Heâs gunning for his first game after seven months out following knee surgery.
Left back Jere Uronen will miss his third straight game with a groin injury. Midfielder Junior Urso is out with a hamstring strain.
The Philadelphia Union is actually better on the road than at home, going 1-4-1 at home, compared to 3-0-4 on the road.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her third season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
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Good piece as always Carroll. Thanks for digging into it.