History of Charlotte FC in Timeline

Charlotte FC is a professional soccer club based in Charlotte, North Carolina, competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Eastern Conference. The team is owned by David Tepper and began playing in the 2022 season as the league's 28th franchise. They play their home matches at Bank of America Stadium, shared with the Carolina Panthers, with a reduced capacity of 38,000 for most games.

2015: QC Royals Founded

In 2015, the QC Royals supporters group was founded to support other minor league teams.

2017: Queen's Firm Founded

In 2017, the Queen's Firm was founded as a supporters group for Charlotte FC.

December 2019: Tepper Sports Files Trademark Filings

In December 2019, Tepper Sports submitted trademark filings that included potential names for the MLS team, including Charlotte FC, Charlotte Crown FC, Charlotte Fortune FC, Charlotte Monarchs FC, Charlotte Athletic FC, Charlotte Town FC, Carolina Gliders FC, and All Carolina FC.

December 2019: Sporting Director Hired

In December 2019, Zoran Krneta, a professional scout, was hired as Charlotte FC's sporting director.

December 17, 2019: Charlotte Awarded MLS Expansion Franchise

On December 17, 2019, David Tepper was awarded the expansion franchise for Charlotte, marking the beginning of Charlotte FC. The team would begin play in the 2022 MLS season as the league's 28th franchise.

January 2020: Technical Director Named

In January 2020, Marc Nicholls, former Carolina Dynamo head coach, was named Charlotte FC's technical director and head of the youth academy system.

June 2020: Name Announcement Delayed

The name announcement for Charlotte FC, initially scheduled for June 2020, was delayed by a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 8, 2020: Club Signs First Player Sergio Ruiz

On July 8, 2020, Charlotte FC signed its first player, Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz, from Racing Santander. He was immediately loaned out to UD Las Palmas.

July 2020: Youth Academy Established

In July 2020, Charlotte FC established its youth academy with squads at various age levels, sourcing players from both inside and outside the Carolinas.

July 17, 2020: Charlotte FC Debut Delayed

On July 17, 2020, MLS announced that Charlotte FC's debut would be delayed by a year to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 22, 2020: Charlotte FC Name and Crest Reveal

On July 22, 2020, the name and crest of the team were revealed during a livestream event, with Charlotte Football Club (shortened to Charlotte FC) chosen as the winner.

October 2020: Eastland Mall Facility Cancellation

In October 2020, plans for Charlotte FC's headquarters and practice facilities at the Eastland Mall site were cancelled due to a reduction in financial incentives offered by the city government. Instead, the Eastland site was proposed as the home of the Charlotte FC Elite Academy, while the team's headquarters were moved to Uptown and training took place at Sportsplex at Matthews.

February 2021: Personal Seat Licenses Announced

In February 2021, Charlotte FC announced it would be the first MLS team to use personal seat licenses (PSL) to reserve season tickets in most sections. The cost of seat licenses for the inaugural season was set at $550 per seat. This announcement, along with high season ticket prices, was met with backlash from fans.

March 2021: Stadium Renovation Began

In March 2021, renovations began at the stadium to accommodate Charlotte FC, including dedicated locker rooms and training rooms, a player tunnel, and a larger concourse area. The renovations cost $50 million and included replacing the grass surface with FieldTurf.

April 2021: Local Television Partnership Announced

In April 2021, Charlotte FC announced a local television partnership with Cox Media Group. Most English broadcasts aired on WAXN-TV, with some on WSOC-TV, and Spanish broadcasts were exclusive to Telemundo Charlotte. Raycom Sports handled local production and syndication.

July 2021: Miguel Ángel Ramírez Hired as Head Coach

In July 2021, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, formerly manager of Brazil's Sport Club Internacional, was hired as Charlotte FC's first head coach.

December 2021: Carolina Kit Unveiled

In December 2021, Charlotte FC's first primary jersey, named the "Carolina Kit", was unveiled. It is primarily blue with white sleeves and features the outlines of North Carolina and South Carolina.

2021: Affiliation with Charlotte Independence

In 2021, Charlotte FC established an affiliation agreement with Charlotte Independence, who served as a reserve squad and took loaned players.

January 2022: Radio Partnership with Radio One

In January 2022, Charlotte FC announced a radio partnership with Radio One to carry matches on local stations. English-language broadcasts aired on WFNZ-FM and WBT, with a network of seven stations. Spanish radio broadcasts were carried on WOLS and syndicated by Norsan Media.

January 26, 2022: Club Signs Karol Świderski

On January 26, 2022, Charlotte FC signed its first Designated Player, Polish forward Karol Świderski.

February 2022: "Newly Minted" Community Kit Released

In February 2022, Charlotte FC released its secondary "Newly Minted" community kit, a black jersey with mint-colored highlights, for one season. The design includes a patterned coin edge that references the Charlotte Mint.

February 2022: Joe LaBue Appointed Club President

In February 2022, Joe LaBue, a Carolina Panthers sales executive, was appointed club president, replacing Glick after his departure.

February 26, 2022: Charlotte FC's First MLS Match

On February 26, 2022, Charlotte FC played their first MLS regular season match, losing 3–0 to D.C. United at Audi Field.

May 31, 2022: Miguel Ángel Ramírez Fired

On May 31, 2022, Charlotte FC announced that Miguel Ángel Ramírez had been fired as head coach. Assistant coach Christian Lattanzio was named interim head coach.

July 20, 2022: Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea Friendly Match

On July 20, 2022, Charlotte FC played their first international friendly against England's Chelsea. The match ended in a 1–1 draw after regulation time, with Charlotte FC winning 5–3 in a penalty shootout.

2022: First Homegrown Players Signed

In 2022, Charlotte FC signed their first homegrown players, Brian Romero and Nimfasha Berchimas.

2022: Affiliation with Charlotte Independence Terminated

In 2022, the affiliation between Charlotte FC and Charlotte Independence was terminated.

August 2023: Atrium Health Performance Park Opens

In August 2023, the Atrium Health Performance Park, Charlotte FC's headquarters and training facility, opened. The campus is used by Charlotte FC, Crown Legacy FC, and academy teams and includes 52,000 square feet of space, a 45-seat auditorium, and eight fields.

November 8, 2023: Christian Lattanzio Leaves Charlotte FC

On November 8, 2023, Charlotte FC announced that head coach Christian Lattanzio and assistant coach Andy Quy would leave the club.

December 12, 2023: Dean Smith Announced as Head Coach

On December 12, 2023, Dean Smith, former manager of Aston Villa F.C., was announced as Charlotte FC's third head coach.

2023: "Crown Jewel" Jersey Unveiled

Ahead of the 2023 season, a new secondary jersey for Charlotte FC, named the "Crown Jewel", was unveiled. It is primarily purple with blue highlights and pink stripes.

2023: Crown Legacy FC Began Play

In 2023, Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC's new reserve team in MLS Next Pro, began play at the Sportsplex at Matthews.

2023: Apple TV Broadcast Rights

Since 2023, Apple TV has worldwide broadcast rights for all MLS matches, including Charlotte FC games, in both English and Spanish, through their MLS Season Pass platform.

Loading Video...