Republic FC: Reports Of Being Excluded From MLS Bid 'Deeply Troubling'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Plans for a Major League Soccer expansion team in Sacramento are materializing, but there was an odd omission from the bid announced Tuesday.

There was no mention of the Sacramento Republic FC, the city's USL Pro team, on the bid.

The omission didn't go unnoticed.

Republic FC issued a statement Wednesday morning, noting they were "surprised" by the reports and "deeply troubled." According to the team, the Tuesday's bid is in violation of agreements that pushed for Republic FC to be elevated to an MLS team.

The full statement is below:

"We are just as surprised as our fans to hear that various news outlets are reporting that a bid was submitted to MLS for Sacramento which does not reference Sacramento Republic FC. If these reports are true, this is deeply troubling to us. This journey has always been an endeavor to elevate your team, Sacramento Republic FC, to MLS. If the bid submitted yesterday by Mr. Nagle did not include Sacramento Republic FC, it was in violation of our agreements and without our authorization; and we will take this up with the appropriate parties immediately. We want to thank all of Sacramento Republic FC's fans for your continued support. This is, and always will be, your team."

Wednesday afternoon, Kevin Nagle of Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings LLC also released a statement, noting "We have the utmost respect for SRFC and firmly believe that we further strengthen our case by presenting a united front with them. We have always been and are committed to finalizing a compelling partnership and we will work with all parties in good faith to ensure this happens."

Tuesday was the final day for expansion bid submissions.

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