Raúl Ruidíaz has informed the Seattle Sounders that he is unhappy with his current situation and will not be returning to the team in 2025, according to several sources. Ultimately, Sounder at Heart has been told, the lack of playing time, division within the locker room and a feeling that he’s been undervalued has taken enough of a toll on the club’s all-time leading scorer that he doesn’t foresee the possibility of a return.
News of Ruidíaz’s displeasure should not be a huge surprise to anyone who has been watching as his role has diminished this year, in spite of the forward’s effort to adapt on and off the field. This has all been compounded by what was described as a decaying relationship with head coach Brian Schmetzer over the last two years, a decline in morale among multiple players, and a locker room that we are told “no longer has the unity, camaraderie and serenity it once had.” It sounds as if the environment around the clubhouse was also a factor in Ruidiaz’s decision.
