Search underway for a new General Manager
By Lesley Ryder
The Chicago Stars announced today they will part ways with General Manager Richard Feuz. Feuz joined the club in 2024 after building the women’s team at Sevette Fcc in Switzerland.
“Chicago Stars FC and its ownership recognize that our on-field performance has fallen short of the standards we have set for ourselves and the expectations of our fans,” said Chicago Stars FC president Karen Leetzow. “Following a thorough assessment of the organization, we have determined that a change in sporting leadership is necessary to reach our collective ambitions.”
A search for his replacement is already underway.
The change in staffing comes at a crucial time for the Stars. After a disappointing 2025 season, the Stars once again find themselves fighting to climb out of the league’s basement.
How did we get here?
Feuz came to the Stars with a long-term vision of the club’s future. “In talking about a rebuild, I prefer the word Renaissance.” Fuez said in a 2024 interview for All For XI, “Winning comes from not only bringing the best people, the best staff, but also, bringing the process: striving to excel, and going into details.”
A much-needed cultural reset followed, with former Jamaican National Team head coach Lorne Donaldson at the helm. The Stars 2024 season got off to a hot start, powered by Mal Swanson’s return from a knee injury. But after the Olympic break, the Stars struggled to keep their winning form. They held on to keep the final playoff position on the league table, but took an early 4-1 exit to the eventual champions, Orlando Pride.
Rather than build on their playoff appearance, the Stars took a lax approach to the winter transfer market, preferring to focus on financial sustainability rather than shore up the team’s depth. At one point, Feuz celebrated the team’s low spending, and increase in SoccerDonna value. At the time, it appeared Donaldson and Feuz disagreed with this strategy, with Donaldson expecting more signings ahead of the 2025 season.
But the reinforcements would not come in the winter transfer window. With injuries depleting the defensive corps, and Mallory Swanson out on maternity leave, the decision backfired. The Stars opened 2025 losing five of six matches, and parting ways with Lorne Donaldson, and beginning a revolving door of interim head coaches.
Mak Hemmi took the helm in May, but left at the midseason break for a head coach position at Lexington SC of the Gainbridge Super League. Then Ella Masar took over, followed by Anders Jacobson, who kept the seat warm while the team waited for Martin Sjogren to finish his season in Sweden.
With ever-changing management, The Stars followed up on their 2024 playoff campaign with a tumultuous bottom of the table finish. At the end of the season, an anonymous General Manager survey conducted by ESPN found that 40% of the league’s GMs believed Chicago was holding back the league.
Feuz defended the team’s moves ahead of the 2026 season. “We knew that all those changes could look like instability at some point, And I think at some point we really wanted to take the time to look for alignment, because I truly believe that top down alignment in an organization is the only way to get to success,” Feuz told media on the first day of training. He continued to have lofty goals for the club, including a return to the playoffs… We want to be part of it in November. We want to be meaningful late this season.”
The Chicago Stars approach the June break with playoff position fading on the horizon. After eleven matches, they sit two points ahead of last-place Racing Louisville. The Stars have already conceded a league-worst 22 goals, scoring only five—a league low. If the Stars are to realize that playoff dream, they’ll have to work quickly.
Now what?
The Stars are a club in need of real stability, and a firm grasp on reality. In a growing league like the NWSL, the most successful teams invest in their players, and in their facilities. Their technical staff and front office have a clear vision for how their team executes a winning performance.
As of this writing, the team has not yet announced who will take the GM role as the summer transfer window approaches, but in this afternoon’s press release, Karen Leetzow said “We are seeking an experienced sporting leader who brings a proven track record of building competitive rosters and aligning organizations around a clear vision.”
Feuz’s vision of a renaissance never came to be, but hopefully his replacement can paint with a deft brush.