Austin FC captain Ilie Sánchez made his opinion clear after his final game for the club, saying that he favors abolishing ICE amid recent tensions between the club and its supporters.
Sánchez served as Austin FC's captain for the two seasons he was with the club. After a 2-0 loss to Portland in the team's season finale on Saturday, Nov. 7, the midfielder hailed the club's fans and said they "built this place from scratch since day one."
The relationship between Austin FC and its supporters has been strained in recent months. The club removed a fan from Q2 Stadium on Sept. 26 for wearing an “Abolish ICE” shirt. A number of supporters' groups staged a walkout at an Oct. 10 game to protest that decision.
Austin FC responded by holding a meeting with
the groups who walked out, saying that the "discussions focused on our shared priority of protecting vulnerable members of our Hispanic and immigrant communities."
Following the game, which he knew would be his last with Austin FC, Sánchez directly addressed the controversy.
"I would personally like to say: abolish ICE," Sanchez said. "That's what the biggest issue has been lately. And looking at the future, I think that when we had the union between the supporters and Austin FC, we were unstoppable. Or at least you could see a different vibe or even different performances.
"That's my humble opinion. I hope that things improve and things get better, and things get where this club deserves and the supporters deserve. I would like to leave saying 'thank you' because it's been a pleasure to be a part of this team and city."
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Austin FC announced that it had declined Sánchez's option for the 2027 season.
The Spaniard has played in MLS since 2017, representing Sporting Kansas City and LAFC before joining Austin FC.
Austin FC finished 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference in 2026, missing the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLS captain says 'abolish ICE' after final game for Austin FC
