Major League Soccer and Chicago Fire Soccer Club adopted a Fan Code of Conduct to ensure a safe, convivial environment for all fans to enjoy the splendor of our sport. Fan safety – for all – is at the core of this Code.
Chicago Fire fans, including its various supporter groups, are generally regarded as among the best in MLS. In 2016, J.D. Power recognized the fan experience at Fire games as the best among all of Chicago’s professional sports teams. Preserving, and even enhancing, such a positive fan experience is a continuous goal of the Club and one that requires the Fan Code of Conduct to be upheld.
Recently, members of the supporter group Sector Latino Chicago committed repeated violations of this Code. Despite providing the group’s leadership with multiple opportunities to correct or eliminate such misbehavior, serious violations continued, including after being given a final warning.
Although not all members were involved, the number of violations by certain group members – including some of the group’s leadership and the unwillingness or inability of the leadership to prevent further violations – left no alternative: Sector Latino Chicago is no longer recognized as a designated supporter group by Chicago Fire Soccer Club, meaning all its supporter privileges are permanently revoked.
By and large, Fire supporter groups and those across the League exhibit great passion in constructive ways including the use of Tifo, instruments, songs and chants. However, membership in a supporter group may never be allowed to cloak the identity of those who threaten fan safety or choose belligerence, profanity, vulgarity, incivility or even violence.
Chicago Fire Soccer Club remains committed to providing a best-in-class fan experience while pursuing its essential purpose: To win championships and to serve its community.
