NY Cosmos face indefinite shutdown

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New York Cosmos fans celebrate in the stands at Hofstra University. Photo by Steve Hamlin

New York Cosmos fans celebrate in the stands at Hofstra University. Photo by Steve Hamlin

By David Brand

An iconic New York City soccer club is shutting down for the foreseeable future, with some involved with the team blaming its billionaire owner for prioritizing other interests in his vast business portfolio.

The New York Cosmos announced the “difficult decision to pause team operations” in a tweet Friday morning. 

“We are grateful to our fans for their longstanding support and loyalty,” the club wrote. “They have always been the lifeblood of the Cosmos organization, and the matches we played in last season were not the same without them.” 

The statement also said the club will continue working with the National Independent Soccer Association, a second-tier U.S. professional league, during their COVID-19 related hiatus.

A team spokesperson referred to the tweet when asked for more information. 

Supporters and people involved with the Cosmos, however, say owner Rocco Commisso is to blame for the decision to sit out the upcoming season.

Commisso is the founder and CEO of the Mediacom Communications Corporation and purchased the top-flight Italian professional club Fiorentina in 2019.

One person familiar with the club said Commisso is focusing on his other business holdings amid the COVID-19 economic crisis.

Astoria resident Nicholas Alexandrakos, a liaison between the club and community, was more blunt. 

He said Commisso is giving up on the Cosmos after purchasing them in 2017. At the time, Commisso was hailed as a savior by supporters because other prospective buyers sought to shut down the team for good and remove them as competition to other local professional sides.

“The New York Cosmos are much more than a soccer team. We deserve ownership that is bold-spirited and mirrors the passion, courage, and grit of the players and all New Yorkers,” Alexandrakos said.

“With the current ownership departing in a cowardly fashion, we look towards a brighter future,” he added. 

The indefinite shutdown is the latest rough patch for a club with a rich history that counts Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Spanish striker Raúl among their all-time great players. 

They have in recent years played their home games at Coney Island’s MCU Park and Hofstra University but struggled to turn a profit or find a stable league in the volatile world of U.S. professional soccer. 

The Cosmos have also championed social justice issues and fostered relationships with progressive supporters clubs and local nonprofits.

Players have pitched in at the Lighthouse Mission in Coney Island and performed other service work in Queens.

Midfielder Vincenzo Candela, a Briarwood resident, joined the club last year and soon began volunteering alongside his new teammates and his girlfriend, a social work student .

“I came to New York City in middle of the pandemic and I wanted to connect with the community,” Candela said last year. “Ive always wanted to do outreach and help within the community.”