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Following an investigation into salary cap violations, the National Women’s Soccer League has issued multiple disciplinary actions against Angel City FC. In a league release on Thursday, the NWSL imposed a $200,000 fine and suspensions on club president Julie Uhrman and general manager Angela Hucles Mangano. The club also gained three points from the 2024 standings.
Key findings of the study include unreported offsets and excessive benefits carried out in 2023. The franchise has directly entered into five “side letters” with players who have not been disclosed to the league. The side deals affected multi-year deals, and due to the undisclosed benefits, the club exceeded the salary cap by $50,000 for four weeks during the 2024 regular season.
Official disciplinary action
- ACFC is fined $200,000.
- A deduction of three (3) points from the 2024 ACFC standings, effective immediately.
- Julie Uhrman, President and CEO, and Angela Hucles Mangano, General Manager, are immediately suspended from performing duties related to player transactions for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year.
A new era of ownership
The news comes just months after Angel City FC entered into a definitive agreement with Willow Bay and Bob Iger to become new controlling owners. Bay and Iger will acquire a majority stake in the club for an enterprise value of $250 million, setting a new record for the most valuable women’s sports franchise in the world. Bay will serve as the controlling owner for NWSL and represent Angel City on the Board of Directors. Bay and Iger have also committed another $50 million for future club growth.
Angel City was founded in 2020 by actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and Uhrman – an entrepreneur previously involved in micro-console gaming. Reddit and 776 founder Alexis Ohanian was the club’s founding and controlling owner. Hucles joined the franchise as a founding investor before becoming involved with the organization as an executive.
It is uncertain how the suspensions of Urhman and Hucles Mangano will affect their roles as the club moves into the 2025 season and beyond.
What’s next
The league stated in its press release that they will conduct annual investigations and audits of player spending at clubs to ensure compliance with league rules.
Angel City has now dropped to twelfth place with 19 points in the rankings, after being in eleventh place with 22 points. They are still mathematically in contention for the playoffs, but their path forward is now significantly more difficult. They will need to win their remaining matches and need help from other teams if they want to reach eighth place in the play-offs. On Friday they face eleventh-place Seattle Reign FC.
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