The Island F.C.

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The Island F.C.
The Island F.C.svg
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Founded2025
Ground
Owners
League MLS Next Pro (men's)
Website liprosoccer.com

The Island F.C. is an American professional soccer club based in Uniondale, New York. Majority-owned by Mitchell Rechler, the club plans to commence play in MLS Next Pro, a men's Division 3 league in the United States league system, in the 2027 season. It also plans to field a professional women's team in the future. It will play its home games at a new, soccer-specific stadium to be built at the Mitchel Athletic Complex.

Contents

History

The Island F.C. was co-founded in 2025 by Dix Hills native Mitchell Rechler and Glen Cove native Peter Zaratin. [1] [2] Rechler is a managing partner at the private equity firm Rechler Equity Partners, [3] [4] while Zaratin is the owner of the Long Island Rough Riders and its women's team. [1] Rechler and Zaratin met in 2007, [2] and first teamed up for a failed attempt to gain United Soccer League franchise rights for the Rough Riders in 2016, in which the pair would've invested in a public-private partnership to build a multi-purpose stadium at the Suffolk County Community College's campus in Brentwood. [3] [5] The pair would later attempt to forge an affiliation between the Rough Riders and Major League Soccer franchise New York City FC in 2019, which also fell through. [2] Rechler and Zaratin, along with other investors, financed the $25 million launch of The Island F.C. – $20 million of which to be spent on the construction of the club's home ground. [6] [7]

The club's foundation was announced at an October 2025 media event held at the Long Island Children's Museum, attended by local business leaders and politicians. [7] [8] [9] The club plans to commence play in MLS Next Pro, a men's Division 3 league in the United States league system, in the 2027 season. [9] A professional women's team will also be fielded by the club in the future. [4] [8]

Organization

The Island F.C. is co-owned by Mitchell Rechler and Peter Zaratin. Rechler is the club's majority owner, and serves as its chairman, while Zaratin serves as its president. [6] [8]

Stadium

The Island F.C. will play its home games at a soccer-specific stadium to be built at the Mitchel Athletic Complex, in Uniondale, New York. Its $20 million construction cost will be privately funded. [4] [6] The stadium will be opened with a capacity of 2,500, with provisions for a future expansion to 5,000. [7] [10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lewis, Michael (October 14, 2025). "Meet The Island F.C.: MLS NEXT Pro expansion team to play at new stadium in Uniondale, N.Y., starting in 2027". Front Row Soccer. Archived from the original on October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Dickson, Ben (October 14, 2025). "New $25 million soccer stadium and MLS minor-league team coming to Long Island" . Newsday . Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025. Rechler, originally from Dix Hills, and Zaratin, a Glen Cove native, became business partners in 2007. About seven years ago, they talked to New York City FC about being their Long Island youth soccer operation, though that did not come to fruition.
  3. 1 2 Spedden, Zach (December 12, 2016). "Long Island Rough Riders Pitch USL Stadium". Soccer Stadium Digest. Archived from the original on October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Feeney, Luke (October 14, 2025). "The Island F.C. kicks off its future on Long Island". Herald Community Newspapers . Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ Brand, Rick (December 8, 2016). "Rough Riders soccer team proposes Brentwood stadium for SCCC" . Newsday . Archived from the original on October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025. The Long Island Rough Riders soccer team on Thursday offered to build Suffolk County Community College a 5,000-seat artificial turf soccer stadium at the school's Brentwood campus...
  6. 1 2 3 Dickson 2025 , "...principal owner and chairman Mitchell Rechler and team president Peter Zaratin [...] It is estimated to be a $25 million venture — about $20 million for the complex and around $5 million to launch the club –"
  7. 1 2 3 Mocker, Greg (October 14, 2025). "Pro soccer team and stadium coming to Long Island". NewsNation . Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Winzelberg, David (October 14, 2025). "Long Island scores new stadium and pro soccer team" . Long Island Business News . Archived from the original on October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025. Elected officials and business leaders joined team owners on Tuesday [...] the new team is headed by developer Mitchell Rechler, who is its principal owner and chairman, and Peter Zaratin, who serves as its president. Plans are also underway to return professional women's soccer to Long Island...
  9. 1 2 Rich, Krystle (October 14, 2025). "Long Island to be home to The Island F.C., new semi-pro soccer team, complete with new stadium". CBS New York . Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  10. ↑ Rosier, Julia (October 14, 2025). "Professional soccer coming to Long Island, with plans for 2,500-seat stadium". News 12 Long Island . Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
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