concorde fire sue

Can you please Clarify ?

Sorry this is long...

I think this is about the threat of a lawsuit as opposed to an actual lawsuit.  Waiting for further details but here is what I know and have confirmed so far.  This whole palaver came about almost a year ago.  AU tried to go through CF in requesting access to try and recruit some players (number unknown) for the current soccer year.  CF was amiable and relayed that they would give the info to the players/families.  Later it was found out, that CF reneged and did not relay any info to the families.  At a few of the spring tournaments maybe even the CF tourney, AU scouts were out again scouting.  In that process they ran into some of the families they had shown interest in last spring.  As you can imagine a conversation ensued and it was divulged that CF had in fact not spoken to or given any information about the interest shown by AU.  Parents realized they were not being fully informed about the AU opportunities and may or may not have taken issue with being kept in the dark directly with GB for sure and Ken maybe.  Learning about this, at the next scouted tourney, AU scouts chose to deal directly with players and their families.  Not liking this or maybe because they felt excluded, CF leadership then chose to issue a cease and desist order (not sure if legal/verbal/etc.) to stop AU from recruiting CF players at the CF tourney and during the season.  There was the express instruction, that any further actions by AU scouts would lead to legal action(again haven't confirmed if it was verbal or in writing).  Either way, AU scouts oblige, but parents banded together and reached out to the scouts directly, saying CF has no rights over their kids.  AU scouts then proceed to get the parents to write up a letters of intent, stating that they would prefer to deal directly with the AU scouts as opposed to going through their current club CF.  That is all I know for sure, if I get anything else new, i'll pass it along... Phew

So here is/are my questions:- Should a pro-club like AU be allowed to scout and deal directly with the parents or as they currently do, go through the clubs?  Since you pay, does CF or any club have a right to bar you from speaking with AU directly?  Asking for a friend 🤪🤪🤪

What are the rules/legalities for DA recruiting players -- I thought it was only DA couldn't recruit other signed DA kids without permission - but everyone else was fair game?


Even that is a league rule vs a law? Isn't US Soccer the rule enforcing body vs the state court system here?

Same stuff, different year. First-hand exp in this 4 years ago. Son at CF and heard nothing the first year AU opened. I was pretty upset but found out the club held back some names. Interesting for sure. This has been known for some time that CF doesnt like AU "taking" kids.

Answering your questions futsal... Absolutely not. MLS to MLS, I can understand the rules. Local club to MLS... No way. The local club has no rights to my player. Now, if CF or any other club wants to cover them 100% and provide similar resources then I would be open to signing something.

AU should have all the rights to approach ANY player at any time. All clubs should be honored that the player has an opportunity or at least the option to go play in the MLS system.

As a parent, we have to help decide whats in the best interest of our child...not a club coach or DOC, or owner. AU should be allowed to let the parents know that they are interested and its up to the child and the parents to exercise those options (at the end of the season)

Sounds like another reason for MLS clubs to break out from DA. Then they wouldn't be bound by league restrictions and could talk to any family not at another MLS club at ANY point in the year.

You are absolutely correct.

Oh so many people think ego doesn't exist.

In this scenario, I don’t think what Concorde did was right but they are trying to protect their investment.

Concorde, as well as other big Clubs, believe they are equal to AUFC. I mean why wouldn’t they? They both put players into professional leagues and into top D1 soccer programs. I mean isn’t half of AUFC’s coaching staff from local clubs so what’s the difference other then the money?

Now Concorde compared to a professional European club, then yeah they know they can’t compete as that’s the next level from them.

Agreed, the only ones investing in the pay-to-play market are the families. The club is being compensated for their time. This isn't a good way to keep the family happy or a good PR move at all. I wonder if the families would have any legal recourse against Concorde? Should these players go to AU and eventually get cut, they likely wouldn't return to CF.

There are 2 other things to unpack..."other than the money", you mean the investment you spoke of earlier? Should CF comp money to players who AU expresses interest in where CF hides this from the parents?

You're correct about the CF and AU academies being at the same level, this is why MLS academies need to break off into their own league (next higher spot in the pyramid). Them they could recruit any player at any time. And there should not be any sort of solitary payments if the parents are paying club and travel fees.

But - don't forget, I know many many kids, that moved from concorde/ufa/ssa/nasa etc -- that were scholarship players at their perspective clubs before the transition to Atlanta United.

Collectively, yes, AU is perceived to be on a higher level.
Nobody in the country right now has the resources Atlanta United has for youth soccer - which makes what UFA and Concorde accomplished last year at the u17 level even more impressive.


I'd argue, given the new BS DA tiering - AU is at a higher level for u19, but the rest of the age groups are on equal levels.

There just has to be an incentive for local clubs to either retain or push players to Atlanta United. Right now there is none --
should AU offer scholarship money back to clubs for scholarship players?

Say what you want but some kids are just flat out better off at the local club vs Atlanta United - some coaches know this -- at the local club the kid might play 99% of every minute of every game, at AU, he might (might) play 50% of the minutes if he is lucky. The phenom's are better off there for sure, the future homegrowns, the playups etc.

Nope I know that. The difference is 10% to 50%.

Scholarship money should be included as solidarity payments, absolutely.  And scholarships shouldn't be only need-based, they should be a way of attracting talent to the club.

And our money doesn't pay for privilege/allow for paricipation, it literally pays coaches salaries, field rental/upkeep fees, referee fees, yada, yada. If the coaches were working for free, then yes, I could see it as "parents pay to allow their kid to participate for that club". Parents are paying for training, their payments allow the club to hire better coaches, etc. Once the club is paying for everything, yes, they can retain rights to the player.

And aren't AU moving to a longer practice day with homeschooling and all that? If that's the case, what AU and UFA/CF offer are completely different.

The only thing preventing AU from ALWAYS contacting players directly is the fact they play in the same league as UFA/CF. Eliminate that unnecessary hurdle and things are as they should be.

The other thing these clubs playing in different leagues would allow is for AU to pull playars in to play a game or train for a week for evaluation purposes, without AU having to pull the figurative trigger on a player or the player committing to a club where they may play less than 50% of minutes.