Angel City was hit with multiple penalties Thursday after an investigation by the Women’s National Soccer League determined it violated the league’s salary cap.
Angel City was given a $200,000 fine, a three-point deduction in the standings and president Julie Uhrman and general manager Angela Hucles Mangano were suspended from any duties related to player transactions for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year.
The penalties come after NWSL determined Angel City entered into five side-letter agreements with players in 2023 that were not disclosed to the league. These agreements included a combination of compensation and benefits that resulted in the team exceeding the salary cap of $2.75 million by approximately $50,000 for four weeks during the 2024 season, according to the NWSL.
The names of the players and other specifics about the agreements were not disclosed.
Angel City, which has a valuation of $250 million according to Sportico, highest ever for a women’s sports team, has been repeatedly sanctioned for violating NWSL rules. In 2021, before the team had played a game, it was fined $20,000 in cash and $20,000 in allocation money for breaking the league’s tampering policy. Earlier that year it was also fined an undisclosed amount for announcing the signing of Christen Press before the contract had been approved.
Uhrman, one of the team’s three founding owners, was fined for “approaching the officials” following a match early last season. In 2022, former sporting director Eni Aluko was fined and suspended for entering the pitch during a match.