Omaha Takes Their Kingdom to MLIS
The Omaha Kings are setting out to conquer new lands and Major League Indoor Soccer announced today that the Kings have joined the league for the 2022-23 season.
"We decided to join the MLIS because their business model reflects the integrity and values in which we believe is the best path forward for the sport of indoor soccer to grow and succeed," said Kings co-owner and Head Coach Emmanuel Viel. "We strongly believe that every single person, no matter their background or their financial status, should be treated with the same amount of respect from top to bottom, on and off the field. The leadership at MLIS has conveyed this level of professionalism since day one, which we believe is a very valuable and important cornerstone of operating any business. We are pleased with the direction this league is taking, and are excited to be working alongside such talented and high caliber teams that come from all aspects of diverse backgrounds."
The Kings are heading into their fourth season, climbing through the ranks from the PASL to M3 to M2 last year, and now MLIS. "The expectations are always high," said Viel. "We’ve built a notable record the last few years having won the 2020-21 M3 Championship, and winning the M2 Midwest Conference Champions title for the 2021-22 season." The most recent season saw the Kings advance to M2's Final Four where they narrowly lost to the eventual champion San Diego Sockers2.
Emmanuel Viel comes from a soccer background, having been born and raised in Necochea, Argentina. "The game is part of your life, it’s in your blood," he says. "My father played professionally in our home country, and I had the unique opportunity of traveling with him and his team, getting first hand experience on the inside of real, professional teams and players from a very young age. I feel this has highly translated into my current vision of bringing this sport to the Midwest and building it with the right intentions."
Joining Emmanuel Viel in the ownership group are Natalie Viel, Carlos Viel, and Bobby Jaffery. Natalie Viel is the team's Chief Marketing Officer, who created the Kings branding, and designed graphics and logos for M2 and M3. Carlos Viel played professional soccer for 20 years in Argentina, is the former Head Coach of the Kings, and now assumes the role of Team President. Bobby Jaffery, an original Kings player and Vice President of Jaffery Insurance & Financial Services, joins the ownership group for the first time.
The Kings have scheduled open tryouts for October 29 10:00am to 12:00pm at Off the Wall Indoor Soccer, the team's home arena.