Stars making a change at a crucial time
By Lesley Ryder
The Chicago Stars parted ways with Richard Feuz just days before the international transfer window opens for business. A global search is underway for an experienced hand to take on the role, but in the meantime, team president Karen Leetzow believes the team can still get business done to address the roster’s needs.
After last year’s last-place campaign, the Stars front office had faith that Richard Feuz’s offseason moves were enough to bring the club back to playoff position, but the team’s play in the first eleven matches of the season told a different story. “Obviously we're disappointed in the outcome of the building we've done so far and needed to make a change,” Leetzow added “but change isn't always bad.” The Chicago Stars can’t take back the lost time of the past two seasons, but with an experienced hire, they can lay the groundwork to match their ambitions to be a perennial playoff contender.
A failed strategy
Richard Feuz came to the Stars as a wunderkind, having built up Servette FCCF in the Swiss Women’s Super League in a few short years. With him, he brought a transfer market strategy that may have contributed to his downfall. He believed the team could be successful by seeking out the free, and low-cost contracts, to be sold down the line at a higher price.
Basically, buy low, sell high. Enticing words for people of a certain net worth.
But Feuz’s strategy clashed with the reality of the global women’s soccer transfer market. As transfer records continue to smash, those who do not spend get left behind.
“I think Richard had a theory of the case that he pursued, and we've obviously been disappointed on how that played out,” said Leetzow “but at the end of the day, he had the cap and whatever he needed to get this team to the right place.”
It didn’t help that the Stars front office lacked veteran experience in the NWSL, or at higher levels of global football. With a long leash from the front office, and no one around to really challenge a questionable plan, Feuz was free to continue testing his misguided hypothesis.
Leetzow acknowledged the need to try another approach with the team’s sporting side. “I think we really need to be spending more of our time focusing on the sporting organization in a way I don't think that we thought we needed to,” said Leetzow “With the growth of the league has just really taken off in a way that I think surprised us when we first invested in the club.”
The admission from Leetzow is surprising, but it makes the last two seasons make sense. This front office put a lot of faith in Richard Feuz, and after a couple of years of poor performance, they’re learning how misplaced that faith has been. Now, team leadership ought to feel pressure to not make the same mistake twice.
“Looking for some gray hair”
The Chicago Stars Feuz era will be remembered for its difficult lessons. “I think we've learned that our ambitions exceeded the staff we had, and so we're going to be reaching higher and for bigger and better talent,” said Leetzow.
When asked about the ideal candidate, Leetzow indicated a need for some miles on the tires. “I feel like on the sporting side of the organization, what we are looking for is somebody with experience, maybe a little gray hair, you know, who can bring that maturity to the organization that we need.”
After a difficult year of coaching changes, the team needs a sturdy hand in charge if they want to return to the glory of a multi-season playoff streak. Part of the decision-making process will include some analysis from their peer clubs to see what might work for their needs. That could mean an additional hire, like a sporting director. But for Leetzow, the decision is less about the number of personnel and “more about having a clear decision making hierarchy for the various decisions that need to be made.”
“For right now, we know we need a talented GM that will provide some stability for this club, and I do believe that person needs to have significant experience,” said Leetzow.
The transfer window approaches
While the Stars look for a permanent hire, assistant general manager Beatrice Caliani and director of player care Olivia Wynn will take on the day to day responsibilities, while final decisions will go to Leetzow “as temporary as that can be.” But she adds that the team won’t trade a speedy decision for the right one.
In the meantime, the Stars are preparing to peruse the upcoming transfer window. Leetzow is confident the team will be able to see through the conversations already in progress.
Though the Stars sit closer to the bottom of the table than to the playoff line, they still want to be taken seriously as a team with ambitions in a competitive league. “You want to be in playoff contention, but at the very least, you need to have a compelling product on the pitch. I don't think we have either this year, and that is not for lack of trying, but it is why we are disappointed with the outcome, and why we decided to make the change that we made today.”
Leetzow’s candor is welcomed after a period of relative silence from the club.
Yesterday’s news marks the first time Stars fans have heard any mea culpa from the front office after last season’s poor performance. It’s encouraging to hear the organization take responsibility, and have some understanding of where they’ve went wrong. The club can’t change what’s happened in the last two years, but they can show they’ve learned from the hard lessons of the Richard Feuz era.