Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman is quick to answer the question as to what he has found to be the biggest challenge.
“If you’re involved with a sports team and every single week you’re either in the win or loss column, that has a different emotional impact than any other investment,” he said.
The challenge has been especially daunting in recent years for Hauptman, who acquired the team from AEG in September 2007 and is chairman of private investment firm Andell Inc.
The Fire missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons and finished last season with the league’s lowest point total. Attendance has essentially been flat the last four years, failing to eclipse the 17,000 per-game average it saw during Hauptman’s first season as owner in 2008.
“At Andell, we have a pretty good success rate with the companies we’ve owned, which makes it even harder not to
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| Photo by: AP Images |
be successful [with the Fire],” he said. “If you’re a competitive person like I am, it makes it particularly challenging.”
Those struggles led Hauptman to overhaul the team’s front office this past fall, bringing in former MLS executive Nelson Rodriguez as general manager. Rodriguez removed most of the existing staff and hired former MLS player and Serbian U-20 national coach Veljko Paunovic as head coach.
“I am very focused on finding people who see the opportunity that we have, believe in the product and really want to make some magic happen,” Hauptman said. “Something Nelson says that resonates with me is, ‘I really want to find people who are uncommon.’”
With the team off to a better start this season, Hauptman remains focused on his ultimate goal of bringing an MLS Cup to Chicago. In the meantime, he finds pride in the club’s efforts within the city itself, something Hauptman has increased since he became owner.
“Beyond winning games, which is the most important, what drives me is knowing I’m part of a club that has the ability to connect people together and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” he said.
A crown jewel of those efforts is the PrivateBank Fire Pitch, a 125,000-square-foot complex that opened in December. The $20 million facility features indoor and outdoor fields, a restaurant and a club merchandise store, providing local soccer players with a year-round place to play.
“What I like to say is that at the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, the key word in our name is club,” Hauptman said. “To us, a true club doesn’t just celebrate the sport but connects us together and makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
