On Monday, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filed a court motion in an effort to keep the Columbus Crew SC in the city. 

Klein’s motion asks the court to pause the six-month time period for a local investor to buy the team in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 9.67. State law requires local investors to have reasonable opportunity to purchase the soccer team. 

“This tactic enables us to pause the six-month time period as outlined in law in order to protect investments by the people of Ohio,” Klein said in a press release. “This will allow the City of Columbus to ensure that local investors in fact have the opportunity to purchase the team. We remain committed to doing everything we can to keep The Crew here in Columbus.”

The move comes after Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther published an open letter to Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt on Friday. 

The full motion can be viewed here . 

Also on Monday, leaders of the fan-led Save the Crew movement sent a letter to Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber.

“We just want the commissioner to know that there are fans here that are standing by their team,” said David Miller, the Save the Crew spokesman. “There are people in this community ready to step in to support this team financially and buy this team, and they should utilize these opportunities.”

To view the letter, click here.