New York City FC have said goodbye to many legendary club figures since winning MLS Cup in 2021, but Maxime Chanot’s abrupt, unexpected exit might sting the most.
The defender’s now-confirmed departure for AC Ajaccio in France’s second division is a bitter exclamation point on an 18-month period of extreme turnover at NYCFC that has seen many of the players involved in the club’s recent trophy triumphs head for the exits.
Chanot’s loss should not be underestimated: He was the beating heart of NYCFC on the pitch. He was vocal and passionate, the kind of leader who frequently inspired use of the phrase “I’d run through a brick wall for him.”
