Garth Lagerwey explains why he left Sounders

In his first media availability since becoming Atlanta United’s CEO, Garth Lagerwey explained why he decided to leave the Seattle Sounders.

If there was any doubt before, Lagerwey made clear that he did not view this as a lateral move but as a promotion. While Lagerwey noted “the buck stops with me” when it comes to Atlanta’s overall performance, he also made clear Carlos Bocanegra was and remains Atlanta’s main soccer decision-maker.

In Atlanta, though, he’ll have a much wider purview than just soccer, and a similar position simply was never going to materialize in Seattle.

“It’s a different job and a different skill,” Lagerwey said. “In Seattle, you had an incredibly accomplished owner in…