History of Charlotte FC in Timeline

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

2015: QC Royals Founded

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

2017: Queen's Firm Founded

In 2017, the Queen's Firm supporters club was founded.

July 2019: Kit Sponsorship Agreement with Ally Financial

In July 2019, the bid organizers signed a multi-year kit sponsorship agreement with Ally Financial for the then-unannounced MLS team.

December 2019: Tepper Sports Submitted Trademark Filings

In December 2019, Tepper Sports submitted a trademark filing that included eight potential names for the Charlotte MLS team.

December 2019: Zoran Krneta Hired as Sporting Director

In December 2019, Zoran Krneta 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, which would become Charlotte FC. The team was set to begin play in the 2022 MLS season as the league's 28th franchise.

January 2020: Marc Nicholls Named Technical Director

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

June 2020: Name Announcement Delayed

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

July 8, 2020: Sergio Ruiz signed as first Charlotte FC player

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 for 18 months, with an expected arrival in Charlotte in January 2022.

July 2020: Youth Academy Established

In July 2020, Charlotte FC's youth academy was established with squads at various age levels.

July 17, 2020: Charlotte FC Debut Delayed to 2022

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 Revealed

On July 22, 2020, the name and crest 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, the planned Eastland Mall facility for Charlotte FC's headquarters and practice facilities was cancelled due to a reduction in financial incentives from the city government. The Eastland site was proposed to host the Charlotte FC Elite Academy instead.

February 2021: Personal Seat Licenses Introduced

In February 2021, Charlotte FC announced it would be the first MLS team to use personal seat licenses to reserve season tickets, set at $550 per seat for the inaugural season. This announcement caused backlash from fans.

March 2021: Stadium Renovation Begins

In March 2021, the renovation to accommodate Charlotte FC began. The renovation included dedicated locker rooms and training rooms, a player tunnel, and a larger concourse area.

April 2021: Local Television Partnership Announced

In April 2021, Charlotte FC announced a local television partnership with the Cox Media Group. Most English broadcasts aired on WAXN-TV, with the remainder on WSOC-TV. The Spanish broadcast was exclusive to Telemundo Charlotte.

July 2021: Miguel Ángel Ramírez Hired as Head Coach

In July 2021, Miguel Ángel Ramírez was hired as Charlotte FC's first head coach.

October 2021: Centene Corporation Announced as Sleeve Sponsor

In October 2021, a sleeve sponsorship from Centene Corporation, a health insurance company, was announced with undisclosed financial terms.

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 a darker blue stripe around the neck and sleeve cuffs; the jersey also features the outlines of North Carolina and South Carolina in the lower-left corner.

2021: Affiliation with Charlotte Independence Begins

In 2021, Charlotte FC established an affiliation agreement with USL Championship side Charlotte Independence, who would serve as a reserve squad for loaned players.

January 2022: Radio Partnership with Radio One

In January 2022, Charlotte FC announced a radio partnership with Radio One, carrying matches on local stations. Most English-language radio broadcasts air on WFNZ-FM, with the remainder on sister station WBT.

January 2022: Sergio Ruiz Arrival in Charlotte

In January 2022, Sergio Ruiz was expected to arrive in Charlotte.

January 26, 2022: Charlotte FC 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 their secondary "Newly Minted" community kit—a black jersey with mint-colored highlights—was released in February 2022 and used for one season. Its 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 to replace Tom 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 head coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez had been fired, and assistant coach Christian Lattanzio was named interim head coach.

July 20, 2022: Charlotte FC vs Chelsea Friendly

On July 20, 2022, Charlotte FC played their first international friendly against England's Chelsea; the match was tied 1–1 after regulation time and decided by a penalty shootout, which Charlotte FC won 5–3.

2022: Affiliation with Charlotte Independence Ends

At the end of the 2022 season, Charlotte FC's affiliation with Charlotte Independence was terminated.

2022: First Homegrown Players Signed

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

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 utilized by Charlotte FC, Crown Legacy FC, and academy teams, featuring 52,000 square feet of space, a 45-seat auditorium, and eight fields.

November 8, 2023: Christian Lattanzio and Andy Quy Leave 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 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 in an homage to Queen Charlotte according to team president Joe LaBue.

2023: Crown Legacy FC Begins Play

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

2023: Apple TV Acquires Broadcast Rights

Starting in 2023, Apple TV acquired worldwide broadcast rights for all MLS matches in both English and Spanish. Their MLS Season Pass platform includes all league and playoff matches for Charlotte FC.

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