The club hopes to tap into the growing soccer culture in the town of almost 20,000
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Naples, Florida needed something. The town of 20,000 known for its sprawling beaches and sparkling sand, nestled in a county of 400,000, has a growing contingent of soccer fans. And someone needed to give them something to flock to. Yet, going to see a live soccer match can be an expensive endeavor for its residents.
Tampa, where the USL’s Rowdies play, is two hours north and MLS’s Inter Miami is two and a half hours west. Piece together the drive, the food, the tickets, the gas, and it’s a three-figure endeavour minimum – all to see a team that doesn’t really have roots in Naples’ area.
That is the key problem that Roberto Moreno, club president and co-founder of the soon to start FC Naples is trying to address. Eighteen months ago, Moreno was handed a stadium, and a blank canvas. There wasn’t a badge, name or color scheme. He was, in effect, given a club that didn’t exist, and the license to build it.
But his approach was far removed from the corporate transplants and expansion franchises that have come to define some clubs in world football. Catering to a small town, that lacked a professional sports team, Moreno and his co-investors reached out into the community to curate – not create – a local football club.
FC NaplesThe origins of FC Naples
The result, FC Naples, is a unique concept in the scope of United States soccer. Built by the fans, yet designed by those with the money, the soon-to-be USL League One outfit represents a small city in a distinctive way – and hopes to be a model as to how community ownership can exist in a sport where the landscape relies so heavily on billionaires or foreign investors with deep pockets.
“We think we can make it here in Naples because this is an entertainment place,” Moreno said.
Moreno knows a fair bit about being involved in soccer. His career has always been loosely tied to sport – albeit not so directly to the beautiful game until recently. The former CFO of fitness and apparel company Zumba, Moreno had dabbled in investing and ownership during his full-time career.
The first opportunity came in April 2021 when a minority stake in the now League 1 side Leyton Orient became available, Moreno moved quickly. His investment wasn’t hefty, Moreno admitted, but it was a start.
Since then, his soccer portfolio has only expanded. He invested in Belgian lower division side Patro Eisden in January 2022, and Bundesliga 2 outfit Preussen Munster a year later.
Naples, though, was different. Those other clubs had infrastructures, managers, fans. More broadly, they existed, in full form, with financial backing and a deep rooted connection to their respective communities. Moreno was merely dipping his toe into the financial waters.
FC Naples happened by chance. Moreno had already considered buying a USL club, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a few years before. And although a deal never materialized, Moreno stayed in touch with USL deputy CEO Justin Papadakis.
It all happened in a day. Moreno called Papadakis on an innocuous Monday evening. The timing was perfect. Papadakis had just flown home from Naples, and after seeing a sparkling sports complex, was convinced that he had found the perfect home for his next USL franchise.
Moreno had the money and the interest. Twenty-four hours and one successful dinner later, and the seed of something had started to form.
“I fell in love with the opportunity and we did our due diligence and now we’re here,” Moreno said.
But that was the easy part, Moreno admitted.
AdvertisementFC NaplesChallenges of building a new club
Naples, Florida is an interesting place for a sports team. For a start, there isn’t a professional franchise there already. It’s 130 miles from Miami – and on the opposite coast – it is far enough removed from a certain Argentine to have sporting autonomy.
But there is a real interest in the sport there, Naples Coach Matt Poland claimed.
“You can come here and have this crest connect with you in the community, and we don't have a professional team here to connect us,” Poland said.
And there was already an impressive enough facility for this all to happen. Paradise Coast Sports Complex, opened in 2020, can fit 5,000 fans, and is close enough to the city center to be accessible. While location can be a challenge for some soccer teams, Naples doesn’t have that problem.
“I've seen Naples and the sports complex,” part investor Nico Cantor said. It was perfect, really. I see so much potential. I see so much conviction.”
Having the infrastructure is one thing. Creating a team, from scratch, presents an entirely different challenge. Moreno faced one central struggle, though: embedding a sports team that didn’t exist into a community that had never had one.
It took a business mindset to piece everything together. The owners kicked off online campaigns, and utilized social media to get things off the ground. They hosted listening sessions across the city, from high schools to cafes. Some sessions were attended by a handful, others occurred in packed rooms. But slowly, over time, an idea began to form. FC Naples should be bright. Its imagery should be coastal.
This was going to be a Florida team, one that represented the tens of thousands of transplants in the community. This is meant to be a facet of the city, something to do in the evening, after you’ve spent a day at the beach. Soccer fans and community casuals alike could relate to this thing.
“Anybody we show it to, anyone who sees it, knows that this represents us, from the billionaire to the worker at the local McDonalds,” Moreno said.
And others were interested, too. Cantor, a CBS analyst and Florida native, jumped at the opportunity to invest in a club that he felt touched on his roots.
“It was perfect, really. And I see so much potential. I see so much conviction, also from the people of Naples to want to go out and support this team,” Cantor said.
FC NaplesGetting the right coach
The coaching appointment reflected that mantra. Poland is South Florida. His family have owned property in the city since the 1960s. Poland has lived in Marco Island, a 20 minute drive from the city itself, for 13 years.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was unable to play in Europe, Poland returned to coach high school teams. In his offseasons, he still directs youth teams. There really isn’t a player in the city’s scene that he doesn't know about.
“A massive appeal for this job was getting to grow soccer in my community,” Poland said.
And then, there’s his resume. The USL is a young league. There isn’t necessarily the coaching carousel that has come to define top leagues around the world. The advantage there is that hidden gems still exist. Poland might just be one of them.
First of all, he’s already been here. This is, in fact, his second startup soccer team. He built Midwestern Minnow Chicago House – a semi-pro side – from scratch, and led them into back-to-back U.S. Open Cup appearances in 2022 and 2023. In those runs, they knocked off USL League One side Forward Madison. Their only losses came to Chicago Fire’s first team and an expansive Minnesota United 2 outfit. During his three full seasons with the team, 16 players and staff signed pro contracts.
His hiring happened rather by chance, Moreno and Poland meeting at the club’s kickoff event in January, and, quite simply, hitting it off.
“It’s the most organic job I've ever gotten,” Poland said. “It wasn't super like interview-y. It was more just like us talking about relationships in the field, a coaching style and the community aspect.”
Tryouts have followed. So, too have countless messages, emails and even Instagram DMs from prospective players, as well as some agents. The word is out there. Soccer is coming.
FC NaplesBuilding a fanbase
The rest of it all starts with some sausages – grilled, spiced, and thrown into buns. John Foster began a pickup soccer scene at the start of the summer. British born with stints living in various countries – including Argentina – he was the perfect character to reach out to the Hispanic population of the area.
It all came together pretty quickly. The group rented one field at first. No more than 20 showed up. Within weeks they needed more. These days, they get 100 out at the Paradise Coast Complex. And at the end of it all, the barbecues get set up. Asado is on the menu. Grilled meats, chimichurri, ice cold drinks. It all feels a lot like culture.
“We started all this without even knowing about the team. We didn't know the coach because they didn't even have one yet. We didn't know about any players,” Foster said.
FC Naples realized that. In June, they reached out to Foster and co, and coordinated on making them – just a bunch of soccer fans who kick a ball about on a Friday – the official supporter’s group of the club. An appearance at the badge’s unveiling, some more intense organization, and a hefty amount of paperwork later, and they’re now “La Barra 239.” There is speak of t-shirts, memberships, and fan discounts. There are soon to be chants, as well as an official bar.
“We've already been assigned for the seating in the stadium for the 20 odd matches they'll play next season, we’ll be with our flags and drums,” Foster said.
