- Rochester N.Y. FC pulls out of the new MLS NEXT Pro season
- Advanced talks to secure investment fell through
- End of the road for Jamie Vardy's U.S. club
WHAT HAPPENED? The US soccer team backed by Leicester City and England striker Vardy has sensationally gone out of business and have pulled out of the new MLS NEXT Pro season after its potential investors walked away at the last minute. In a statement released on Friday night, the club cited reasons for the decision: “While our first year was fraught with challenges, we nonetheless persevered and qualified for the playoffs. As we began the offseason it became apparent that to stay competitive, we would need a significantly greater investment in many aspects of the club.
“Despite increased attendance, including the addition of nearly 600 temporary seats at our last match, the unfortunate reality is the current infrastructure coupled with other challenges resulted in no path to sustainability.
“We were in advanced discussions with an ownership group to acquire a majority interest in RNYFC. However, the purchasing group decided not to proceed earlier this week as we were moving to close. This left us with no time and no choice but to decline fielding a team in 2023.”
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rochester, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, had been one of the most successful teams in the USL, the second division of American football. The side was only relaunched only last year, and debuted in the new third division in 2022 at Monroe Community College. A recent report from The Athletic suggested that the club was difficult to run due to a lack of a home stadium big enough to attract significant supporters and revenue. Likewise, the Rhinos' rebranding also upset some pre-existing fans. The fresh investment was the last beacon of any residual hope, but the interested consortium pulled the plug at the 11th hour prior to the MLS NEXT season.
WHAT NEXT? What comes next for the stakeholders, including co-owner Vardy, remains unknown, with the team's entire future in serious doubt.