Update:

Around 2 hours after the posting of this article, Sounders FC also removed the word “tifo” from the club website. That confirms that there has been a deliberate policy to shy away from calling the Delta Airline advert tifo, in response to fan criticism.

Word “tifo” absent from Sounders FC latest Delta release; Frei addresses controversy (video)

Sounders FC issued a media release about the controversial project involving the creation of an advertising banner for Delta Airlines which is to be unveiled at the home match versus Chicago in September.

After the press release yesterday, the club suffered negative reaction to the project from members of Supporters Groups notably the Emerald City Supporters who make the tifo at club games.

The use of the word “tifo” in particular caused offence as tifo has been the prerogative of independent supporters in Major League Soccer and it was felt that the club was intruding onto ‘sacred’ territory by using the term to describe what was clearly an advertising feature for a commercial partner, not a show of support by fans for the side

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Today’s release invites media to observe the start of the project, and presumably then give the airline free advertising, but significantly omits the word ‘tifo’ although it still appears on the original feature on the club website.

In today’s release, ‘tifo’ is replaced by words like fabric and canvas. Canvas especially seems to be the synonym inserted.

“Under the creative direction of Frei, the team’s goalkeeper who is also a talented artist, Sounders FC fans have the opportunity to support the team through the creation of a large canvas that is being unveiled on top of the East Delta Sky360 Club at CenturyLink Field on September 28 at Seattle’s home match against Chicago. Developed over the course of the season, Frei and Sounders FC fans are creating this multi-piece canvas, approximately 200 feet long and 75 feet wide, with each piece of fabric having its own special design.”

In the original press release, and still on the website is the sentence:

“This season, Sounders FC and Delta are collaborating with Goalkeeper Stefan Frei and YOU to create a unique tifo.”

There is no way of knowing for certain whether the club has reacted to assuage the ruffled feathers of irritated fans or declined to exacerbate the situation further, but if so, it seems they have heard the voice loud and clear that they overstepped the mark by conjoining tifo to a corporate commercial project.

Swiss goalkeeper Stefan Frei discussed the project with media members at the Sounders’ team offices. Speaking about the controversy, Frei spoke of the labour of love Sounders fans put into their own tifo: