Philadelphia Union announced officially Friday that they are parting ways with Chief Executive Officer Nick Sakiewicz. CBSPhilly’s Kevin Kinkead was the first to report of his departure last night.
“Nick was instrumental in helping bring a team to Philadelphia and building our organization from the ground up, and we thank him for the dedication and perseverance he showed in those efforts along with his passion for the club,” said Union Chairman and Majority Owner Jay Sugarman in a press release Friday. “It’s time to move forward now and execute on our plan to bring a winning team to Philadelphia and its fans.”
The Union Chief Revenue Officer Dave Rowan will assume the daily business operations on a interim basis.
In an interview, ESPN’s Jeffrey Carlisle tweeted, in which Sakiewicz says that “ I enjoyed my time at the Philadelphia Union & am proud of the team, the organization and the stadium we built. I wish the Union, Jay Sugarman & the entire organization the best of luck and continued success.”
Sakiewicz, known by fans as “Sak”, was a very divisive figure in the minds of Philadelphia fans. He has been with the team since the inception and is also a minority owner in the team apparently. Sak is mainly remembered recently as the man behind the Rais M’Bolhi situation, in which the Union signed an expensive goalkeeper in front of other very pressing needs. Pressure seemingly came to boil over this year as the Union failed to neither win the U.S. Open Cup nor make the playoffs. In their six year existence, the Union has made the playoffs once.
However, Sak was also the main visible figure in the ownership group, Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC. Now, with him out, it will be an interesting to watch if the owner, Jay Sugarman, becomes a more visible and vocal member of the ownership group.
The relieving of Sakiewicz as CEO comes on the heels of another demoralizing loss by the club in the U.S. Open Cup Finals.