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Atlanta United FC is a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Atlanta, Georgia that plans to begin play in 2017. The team, which was announced by the league on April 16, 2014, will be owned and operated by Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and will play in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, currently under construction. ==Expansion process== As the largest metropolitan area without an MLS franchise, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank's AMB Group submitted a bid in 2008 for an expansion franchise, but withdrew the bid in early 2009 due to its inability to get a stadium built. Despite the withdrawal of the bid, Dan Courtemanche, MLS's executive vice president, said on July 10 that regular discussion with Blank regarding Atlanta's potential as expansion market were occurring. In May 2012, while the Falcon's proposed new stadium was going through the approval process, MLS Commissioner Don Garber cited Atlanta as one of three "intriguing" markets for future league expansion. Additionally, when Blank presented his case for a new stadium at the Falcons' annual meeting with season ticket holders, he stated that an additional benefit of the stadium was that it could help attract a Major League Soccer franchise and potentially host World Cup matches. Later that year, in November, Garber said that if the Falcons could complete plans for a new stadium, MLS would "try to figure out how an MLS team could be part of their plans." Throughout 2013, the league and the Falcons were in contact regularly,〔 and Rich McKay, Falcons president and CEO, said that the team was "open to various options, including () ownership of a team or someone else owning a team". Dan Courtemanche said, "We are big believers in the Atlanta market," and cited the city's growing Hispanic population and corporations that could serve as their sponsors.〔 Then, in March 2013, the city and the Falcons agreed to financing terms, and in May 2013, the Georgia Department of Economic Development board approved $30 million in bonds to finance the land purchase for the new stadium. The stadium was set to open in 2017 and could be configured for professional soccer. Atlanta remained at the top of the list for an MLS expansion team, as Garber, in the December 2013 MLS State of the League address, emphasized that it was a goal to continue to expand in the southeast, and added, "if we can continue to advance our discussions positively with Arthur () and the () Falcons, we hope to be able to get a situation finalized so that could potentially be our second team. Orlando being the first, maybe Atlanta or Miami would be the second or the third." In December 2013, Garber said the league was making progress in discussions with the Falcons and that the stadium situation was finalized. Negotiations continued with Courtemanche saying in January 2014 that Atlanta "remains a great prospect for MLS expansion," and in February 2014, Rich McKay confirming the parties were "far along in negotiations." Finally, on April 16, 2014, Blank announced that MLS had awarded an expansion franchise to his group to begin play in 2017. Atlanta became the second franchise awarded in the southeastern United States in five months, following the Orlando City announcement in late 2013. The Southeast had been without any MLS team since the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny clubs were dissolved in 2001. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Atlanta United FC」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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