The Chargers are no longer San Diego’s team.
On Thursday morning, Chargers’ President Dean Spanos, released a statement informing administrative staff and players that the team will move to Los Angeles.
“At first I hoped it was fake news. It’s something that is unfathomable, but it is reality,” said former Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts upon hearing the news.
The Chargers arrived in San Diego in 1961 to play their games at Balboa Stadium, currently used by San Diego High School.
In 1967, the team moved to the current site of Qualcomm Stadium in the heart of Mission Valley to play their games.
Through the years, the Spanos family sought the support of different San Diego mayors to build a new stadium, but a deal was never reached.
The Chargers’ last effort  came last November when they put Proposition C before the voters, which would increase taxes on hotel occupancy.
The tax increase would have funded a stadium in the East Village, but voters did not back the plan.
From that moment, Dean Spanos knew that the days of his franchise in San Diego were numbered.
Starting next season, the Chargers will play at the StubHub Center in Carson, and starting in 2019, they will be tenants of the new stadium that the Rams are building in Inglewood.
Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers made it clear that the team was departing to Los Angeles.
“Goodbye San Diego,” wrote the player on his account.
The change of venue comes while the team searches for a new head coach.
At the end of the regular season, and with a record of five wins and 11 losses, the team fired Mike McCoy and now is in the process of interviewing candidates for the head coach position.