Atlanta United president and CEO Garth Lagerwey is stepping down from his role after being diagnosed with cancer, the club announced in a statement Thursday.

Lagerwey, 35, will take an “indefinite leave of absence” following his diagnosis, with the club saying that there is no timetable for his return.

Per the team, he has started receiving treatment. The club did not clarify the type of cancer, but said that Lagerwey’s prognosis is “encouraging.”

“On behalf of myself, Atlanta United, and the entire Blank Family of Businesses, we stand fully behind Garth and his family as they navigate this difficult challenge,” said Atlanta United owner and chairman Arthur Blank in the statement. “Garth’s resilience and optimism are part of what makes him such an exceptional leader, and I know he’ll carry those strengths in the days ahead. I have complete confidence in our leadership team and players as we navigate this transition together. We all look forward to welcoming Garth back in the future and will be praying for him and his family’s continued strength, and a smooth recovery.”

In the statement, Lagerwey thanked Blank for his support in both his illness and his transition.

“I have made the difficult decision to step back from Atlanta United to tackle my cancer treatment head-on,” Lagerwey said in the statement. “I would like to express my profound gratitude to Arthur Blank for not only his support, but by doing everything in his power to make this process as painless as possible for me and my family.”

Lagerwey, a former goalkeeper-turned-GM, began his front office career with Real Salt Lake in 2007 at age 35, becoming MLS’s youngest GM at the time. He joined Atlanta United as president and CEO in 2022 after eight successful years with the Seattle Sounders.

In Lagerwey’s absence, three members of Atlanta United’s senior leadership — chief soccer office Chris Henderson, chief business office Skate Noftsinger and senior VP of strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou will lead the club’s day-to-day operations. Lagerwey will receive regular reports from these department heads, per the team.

“Chris, Skate and Dimitrios are experienced and talented leaders, and I have full confidence in their abilities to lead our club in my absence. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing our fans again soon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” Lagerwey said in the statement. “I shall return.”