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in a continuation of the long standing tradition of allowing players to pursue individual goals without interference, ReaL monarchs SLC General Manager Dan Egner announce today that Hoffman will become Birmingham Legion FC’s first-ever signing. The new USL expansion club will begin play in the 2019 season allowing Chandler to remain with the Monarchs through USL Cup 2018 as the club seeks its first USL Cup title.
“As a club, we’re excited about this opportunity for Chandler,” Egner said. “He’s been a consummate professional during his time with the club and has been an integral part of the success the club has seen the past two seasons. For Chandler to become the marquee player for his hometown professional club is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we’re glad we were able to come to an agreement with Birmingham Legion FC to make this happen. Chandler will always hold a special place with the Monarchs, and we look forward to him leading the charge on our quest for the USL Cup this season.”
Ever since the expansion team was announced for Birmingham there has been widespread speculation that Hoffman, a hometown boy who attended Oak Mountain High School and led them to two state championships, would be a primary target.
“I am thankful to the entire RSL organization for allowing me to get this finalized,” Hoffman said of his opportunity. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me personally, to return to my hometown and build something in the city I grew up in. With that being said, my entire focus is finishing what we have started this season with the Monarchs and leading this team to a USL Cup championship.”
Hoffman will be introduced to the media and public in Birmingham on Thursday, August 2 at 4 p.m. CT at Iron City during the break in matches for the Monarchs.
“I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to come back to my hometown and help build something from the ground up,” Hoffman said. “After my conversations with Jay, hearing his vision and the tremendous backing from the owners, I knew this was the next challenge to step into in my career.”