History of Charlotte FC in Timeline

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

1981: Carolina Lightnin' Win Championship

In 1981, the Carolina Lightnin' won the American Soccer League championship in front of 20,163 people at American Legion Memorial Stadium. It marked Charlotte's first professional sports championship.

1983: Carolina Gold Cease Operations

In 1983, after the American Soccer League folded, the Carolina Lightnin' played for one season as the Charlotte Gold in the United Soccer League before ceasing operations.

1991: Charlotte Eagles Founding

In 1991, professional soccer returned to Charlotte with the founding of the Charlotte Eagles.

1993: Charlotte Eagles Join USISL

In 1993, the Charlotte Eagles joined the USISL.

1994: Charlotte Misses MLS Inaugural Season

In 1994, Charlotte was on the list of cities interested in joining Major League Soccer (MLS) prior to the league's inaugural season, but was not awarded a franchise.

1996: Charlotte Passed Over for Expansion Team

In 1996, Charlotte was named as a potential home for an expansion team but was passed over in favor of other cities.

1998: Charlotte Passed Over Again for Expansion Team

In 1998, Charlotte was again named as a potential home for an expansion team but was passed over in favor of other cities.

January 2004: Charlotte Hosts MLS SuperDraft

In January 2004, the Charlotte Convention Center hosted the MLS SuperDraft and National Soccer Coaches Association of America conference.

2009: David Tepper Buys Stake in Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2009, David Tepper purchased a 5% stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2014: Charlotte Independence Founded

In 2014, a separate professional team, the Charlotte Independence, was founded and replaced the Eagles in the second division (now named the USL Championship).

2014: Bank of America Stadium Renovation

Since a renovation to Bank of America Stadium in 2014, the city has hosted several friendly and international matches, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the International Champions Cup.

2015: Stadium Renovation Proposed

In 2015, The Charlotte Independence's ownership group proposed a major renovation to American Legion Memorial Stadium that would make it into soccer-specific stadium.

2015: QC Royals Founded

In 2015, the QC Royals, one of Charlotte FC's supporters clubs, was founded to support other minor league teams.

October 2016: Sports Investment Firm Hired

In October 2016, the Charlotte Independence hired a sports investment firm to advertise the MLS bid to potential investors while preparing further stadium plans.

2016: Charlotte Bid Formed by Marcus G. Smith

In late 2016, a separate Charlotte bid was formed by Marcus G. Smith of Speedway Motorsports.

January 31, 2017: Bid Submitted Without City Council Support

On January 31, 2017, Marcus Smith submitted the bid for an MLS team without the city council's support, relying on the county government's funding plan.

July 2017: League Officials Tour Charlotte

In July 2017, Several league officials toured Charlotte, but the city council and county commissioners both canceled their meetings during the tour.

November 2017: Charlotte Excluded From Shortlist

In November 2017, MLS narrowed its shortlist of candidates to four cities, leaving out Charlotte.

2017: Queen's Firm Founded

In 2017, one of Charlotte FC's supporters clubs, the Queen's Firm, was founded.

2017: Independence Move to Soccer Stadium

In 2017, the Charlotte Independence moved into a permanent soccer stadium in Matthews, North Carolina.

July 2018: Tepper Purchases Carolina Panthers

In July 2018, David Tepper became the owner of the National Football League's Carolina Panthers and expressed his interest in bringing Major League Soccer to Charlotte.

2018: David Tepper buys Carolina Panthers

In 2018, David Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager and businessman bought the National Football League's Carolina Panthers.

April 2019: Meetings with League Officials

In April 2019, Tom Glick organized an MLS expansion bid for Tepper, who had several meetings with league officials before the next bidding window was opened.

July 2019: Formal Expansion Bid Presented

In July 2019, David Tepper presented a formal expansion bid for Charlotte to the league.

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: Trademark Filing

In December 2019, Tepper Sports submitted a trademark filing that included eight potential names.

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 Expansion Franchise

On December 17, 2019, David Tepper was awarded the expansion franchise for Charlotte, marking the beginning of Charlotte FC. The club would become 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

In June 2020, the Charlotte FC name announcement was scheduled, but was delayed a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 8, 2020: First Player Signed

On July 8, 2020, Charlotte FC signed its first player, Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz, from Racing Santander.

July 2020: Youth Academy Established

In July 2020, Charlotte FC's youth academy was established with squads at various age levels, including under-17, under-14, under-13, and under-12.

July 17, 2020: Debut Delayed to 2022

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

July 22, 2020: 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 Plan Cancelled

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 from the city. The site was then proposed for the Charlotte FC Elite Academy, while the team's headquarters were relocated to Uptown and training to Sportsplex at Matthews.

February 2021: Personal Seat Licenses Announced

In February 2021, Charlotte FC announced they would be the first MLS team to use personal seat licenses to reserve season tickets in most sections. The cost of seat licenses for the inaugural season was set at $550 per seat and would not be transferable to a potential new stadium, sparking backlash from fans.

March 2021: Stadium Renovation Begins

In March 2021, renovations began at the stadium to accommodate Charlotte FC. The renovations, which cost $50 million, 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 Cox Media Group. English broadcasts primarily aired on WAXN-TV, with the remainder on WSOC-TV, while 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 was hired as Charlotte FC's first head coach.

July 2021: Miguel Ángel Ramírez Hired

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

October 2021: Sleeve Sponsorship from Centene Corporation

In October 2021, a sleeve sponsorship from Centene Corporation was announced. The deal includes a donation to pay for 1,900 personal seat licenses at Bank of America Stadium, funds community programs, and the construction of mini-pitches in the Carolinas.

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: Original Debut Year

Charlotte FC was originally scheduled to begin playing in MLS in 2021, but their debut was delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Affiliation Agreement with Charlotte Independence

In 2021, Charlotte FC established an affiliation agreement with Charlotte Independence, a USL Championship (and later USL League One) side, to serve as a reserve squad.

January 2022: Radio Partnership Announced

In January 2022, Charlotte FC announced a radio partnership with Radio One. Most English-language radio broadcasts air on WFNZ-FM, with the remainder on sister station WBT. Spanish radio broadcasts are carried on WOLS and syndicated by Norsan Media.

January 2022: Expected Arrival of Sergio Ruiz

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

January 26, 2022: Karol Świderski Signed

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's secondary "Newly Minted" community kit—a black jersey with mint-colored highlights—was released 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 was appointed club president of Charlotte FC to replace Tom Glick.

February 26, 2022: First MLS Regular Season 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, and assistant coach Christian Lattanzio was named interim head coach.

July 20, 2022: First International Friendly

On July 20, 2022, Charlotte FC played their first international friendly against 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 Terminated

At the end of the 2022 season, the affiliation agreement between Charlotte FC and Charlotte Independence was terminated.

2022: Debut Year

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte FC's debut year was delayed to 2022.

2022: Capacity at Bank of America Stadium in 2022

For most matches in 2022, Charlotte FC only used the lower bowl and club sections of Bank of America Stadium, capping capacity at 38,000 seats. For major matches, the club expands the stadium to full capacity by opening the upper bowl.

2022: Inaugural MLS Season

In 2022, Charlotte FC began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as the league's 28th franchise. Charlotte FC plays at Bank of America Stadium.

2022: First Homegrown Players Signed

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

2022: Charlotte FC's Performance and Coaching Change in 2022

In 2022, Miguel Ramírez was fired after 14 league matches due to conflicts with the front office. Charlotte FC was tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference, one place below a playoff berth. Assistant coach Christian Lattanzio was named interim head coach.

2022: Crest References Minted 2022

In 2022, The shape of the Charlotte FC crest and the use of "Minted 2022" in the crest are references to the city's banking industry and the historic Charlotte Mint, the first U.S. Mint branch.

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 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 in an homage to Queen Charlotte according to team president Joe LaBue.

2023: Apple TV Obtains Broadcast Rights

In 2023, Apple TV secured worldwide broadcast rights for all MLS matches, including those of Charlotte FC, in both English and Spanish through their MLS Season Pass platform.

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2023: Crown Legacy FC Begins Play

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

2024: Lattanzio Signed Through 2024

During the offseason, Lattanzio was signed as permanent head coach through 2024.

2025: Charlotte FC matches to return to WAXN and WSOC-TV

In 2025, WAXN and WSOC-TV will return to airing Charlotte FC matches, however these broadcasts will be on a 48 hour tape delay in the late night hours.