SHOCK NEWS: The head coach’s letter to Atlanta upon his dismissal
To Atlanta United,
My club, my soccer ball, my red, black and white love emojis—
I am writing to express my gratitude for being the driving force for our convocation, unification, and victory. They asserted that it was impossible to carry out in Atlanta or the South. Rather, our city is now the standard for creating a community and a club. Above all, you are a shining example of what happens when fans, neighbours, and the community come together.
When the MLS franchise was officially revealed on April 16, 2014, I was present in the gravel parking lot. That day, I became a Founding Member, and it was the best choice I’ve ever made.
My heart grew when I pulled into The Varsity parking lot to tailgate for the inaugural game of the 2017 season. I was in complete disbelief. The enormous ocean of red and black stood for the unification of independent fans and supporter organisations into one family. Bobby Dodd Stadium erupted in celebration after Yamil Asad scored the team’s inaugural goal in front of 55,297 spectators. I had never experienced the intensity and passion of an Atlanta audience before that day. The amount of fans in the A who were excited and boisterous for football made me proud.
It is historic that the club has achieved such success in such a short period of time. My favourite aspect of match day is being surrounded by fellow Atlantians of different ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities cheering together as one; the ecstasy of victory can only be felt so much, though. My worst match day regret is, without fail, having to say farewell to pals in The Gulch in order to get to my stadium seat. My seat neighbours and I have experienced highs and lows together throughout the years, including high fives, giggles, spilled drinks, ketchup stains, enormous victories, and heartbreaking losses. We are a family today because of these experiences; Atlanta is one enormous cheering section.
There are supporters of Atlanta United worldwide, not only in our city. I take people who are visiting from out of town to matches. That day on, they represent our colours as something spectacular happens. I’ve travelled often for work over the past few years, and I used to pack my Braves fitting cap for those trips. I still carry it occasionally, but these days I never leave the Five Stripes unrepresented.
