The ownership group of the San Diego Wave filed suit this week against former team president Jill Ellis, who also was the former head coach of the United States women’s national team.
The club’s new ownership group, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, claims that Ellis misrepresented her intention to remain with the club through the ownership transition, which began in March of last year and was completed in October of 2024.
According to The Athletic, the lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Diego on Monday.
Ellis, a native of England who is now the chief football officer for FIFA, left her position with the Wave last fall, shortly after the club transferred hands to billionaire couple Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, who own the private equity firm that now runs the team.
An attorney representing Ellis told The Athletic that the “meritless” lawsuit was “filed in retaliation” for Ellis requesting $1.2 million in deferred compensation from the club under her deal with the previous ownership group.
A spokesperson told The Athletic that the club remains focused on the on-field product and is not involved in the dispute between its ownership group and its former team executive.
Ellis, 59, led the USWNT to consecutive World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 before signing a five-year deal to become the Wave president when the team was founded in 2021. At the time she was appointed to her current role with FIFA, Ellis said her main role with soccer’s governing body was to “contribute to the growth of football from a global perspective.”
–Field Level Media
