Sounders fans spoke, and boy did they ever want to see Adrian Hanauer get four more years.
The club on Thursday night announced the voting of 13,775 season-ticket holders and alliance members as to whether to retain the Sounders general manager, and 13,271 of them – 96 percent of the turnout – went in Hanauer’s favor.
Seattle’s unique club structure provides fans the opportunity to vote on the club’s management every four years, inspired by the set-up of FC Barcelona.
In four years as an MLS club with minority owner Hanauer (above left) as GM, the Sounders have a combined 59-32-37 record in league play, three US Open Cups and four MLS Cup playoff appearances – though their Western Conference Championship run this year is the closest they’ve come to the MLS Cup.
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"We've been committed from day one to engage our fans in the direction of the club," Hanauer said in a statement. "The first four years have been remarkable, and I look forward to continuing the growth and progress over the next four years."
Voting began on Oct. 7 and concluded on Dec. 7. More than 85 percent of the total votes were cast before the end of the season.