Daniel Karell

The Courier-Journal

Wayne Estopinal will no longer be the face of Louisville City FC's ownership group.

In a July 28 letter to the team's investors acquired by The Courier-Journal, Estopinal wrote that he had been asked to take a smaller role in the Louisville City FC ownership group after two and a half years of running the club. Estopinal confirmed the authenticity of the letter on Tuesday evening.

"I have been asked to allow new leadership to assume control of the organization," Estopinal wrote. "I have reluctantly agreed to this request."

Estopinal, also the president of TEG Architects in Louisville, revealed that a group of minority investors approached him about a month ago with the request.

"There’s a group of investors who feel like they would look to pursue other objectives now, and they feel that new leadership is needed to do that," Estopinal said in a phone interview on Tuesday evening. "In the operating agreement that all investors have, it allows them that opportunity. It appears that there will be a meeting in the coming weeks to formally adopt this new leadership."

Estopinal said he couldn't confirm when the meeting would be held.

"Wayne has been a champion of the league and team for many years and we are all most appreciative of his vision and ability to help bring a professional soccer team to Louisville," Louisville City FC president Amanda Duffy said in a statement. "While he is no longer involved in the day-to-day operation, we have a great ownership group that remains focused on achieving goals that benefit the Louisville community at large."

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In 2013, as Orlando City SC was announced as an eventual MLS expansion club, Estopinal, who is also a minority owner in Orlando City, went to work to bring a USL franchise to Louisville. In the letter to investors, Estopinal discussed much of what the club had accomplished in the past three years, from earning expansion into the United Soccer League, securing deals to use Louisville Slugger Field for home games as well as a site for training, and growing the fan base to its current levels.

"For three years I’ve worked really hard to bring the team to Louisville and get it established," Estopinal said. "I think I’ve done well for the city, well for the investors, and I’ve done well for the sport."

The change comes at a time when Louisville City awaits the results of a feasibility study of soccer stadium locations in Louisville that was commissioned by the city of Louisville last January. The finalized study is expected to be released soon.

Estopinal said he hopes to remain involved as Louisville City FC's representative on the USL Board of Governors, as well as remaining involved with other team operations.