Chicago Fire: Andrew Hauptman out gives reason to hope

With infamous and widely unpopular Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptmann finally selling his 51% stake, fans finally have reason to hope again.

The day Chicago Fire fans have been waiting for since 2007 has finally come. Early on Friday afternoon, the club officially announced that owner Andrew Hauptman has sold the remainder of his 51% stake in the organisation to Joe Mansueto this morning, making him the newest owner and chairman of the Men In Red.

To say Chicago Fire supporters were happy with the news is an understatement to say the very least, as social media erupted with fans celebrating his departure.

Taking control of the club over 12 years ago, Hauptman had been slowly destroying everything the Fire had previously stood for. Performance on the field was the first to suffer; Chicago went from perennial championship contenders to a team who became the first in MLS history to finish in last place in consecutive years. There was also little to spend on transfers, as Hauptman preferred to line his own pockets with cash. The only thing that would change over the course of his tenure were the coaches, as several managers were hired only to be fired a few seasons later.

Then the relationship with fans off the field plummeted. The stands started filling up with #HauptmanOut banners flying high, before the club tried to crack down on the bad press by removing those who brought them in. There was also the fiasco involving Sector Latino last year, with the Fire front office unjustly banning the supporters’ group and covering up their famed section.

But now, the supporters have hope, and not just for a renewed relationship with the organisation.

Hauptman was responsible for hiring those in other powerful positions at the club. Consequently, it seems right that those people in question should now be following him out the door.

Nelson Rodriguez became the Chicago Fire’s general manager in 2015. He has failed at his job ever since. The rosters he builds are often unbalanced, making it difficult to put a winning team out on the field. Always in search of a blockbuster signing, Rodriguez has missed out on several transfer targets over the course of his reign of terror, breaking the hearts of Fire fans over and over again — he is also just a rotten person in the public eye, often speaking down to others in an incredibly condescending tone.

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Rodriguez was also responsible for hiring Veljko Paunovic, who might just be the worst head coach in Chicago’s illustrious history. He has continuously underperformed, unable to get the most out of a team with plenty of talent. Paunovic has become well known for wasting the potential of countless youngsters, eventually shipping them away for a fraction of what they’re worth. This season has been his worst in the latest of long line of disappointments, a talented attacking team utterly devoid of any prolific nature, but has only remained with the Fire due to Rodriguez, who has only remained with the Fire in Chicago due to Hauptman, who is now gone.

Hopefully for the Chicago Fire, Hauptman is just the first domino to fall.

Where this leads Chicago into the future remains to be seen. Mansueto seems to be a Fire fan at heart and might finally put the focus back on making supporters feel good about their club. An impending move to Soldier Field is all but official and could be crucial in rebuilding an organization that spent the last decade down in the dumps.

Next. Chicago Fire: Top 10 goals of the 2019 season. dark

But that is for the future. For the present, this is a day of celebration. Because, at the very least, Chicago Fire fans finally have reason to hope once again.

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