MLS
LAFC and Bayern Munich launch joint venture to develop talent
Both clubs announced on Monday that they will work hand-in-hand to develop young talent and provide them with a pathway to first-team soccer.
Los Angeles Football Club announced on Monday that they will joint-venture with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich to develop young talent and provide them with a pathway to first-team soccer. The name of the corporation will be named “Red & Gold Football” and the headquarters will be set up in Munich. This is the first time that a Major League Soccer club will link up with a European powerhouse to develop talent.
Bayern and LAFC each own 50 percent of the shares
“A partnership of this magnitude is the next step in our evolution as a club,” LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington said. “We are extremely excited to work together with FC Bayern to identify and develop young talent in Southern California and beyond, and believe this relationship will provide players throughout our systems the ability to maximize their potential and see a clear pathway to first-team football.”
“FC Bayern will expand its promotion of young talent with Los Angeles Football Club. On an international level, soccer is developing rapidly, which is also evident in the transfer market. We see this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen FC Bayern in the sporting competition with the best clubs in Europe and the Bundesliga,” said Oliver Kahn, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management at FC Bayern.
“The fact that the 2026 World Cup will largely take place in the USA, where we already have an office in New York, makes Los Angeles even more attractive. I expect a boost in quality and young talent in Major League Soccer, which will have a positive impact on our partnership,” added former Bayern legend Kahn.
Bayern’s expanding presence in the United States
This is yet another path that Bayern Munich has taken in order to promote the sport in the United States and search for talented players. The German giants signed Alphonso Davies from Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019 and he has become one of the best left-backs in the world in a short period of time since joining them.
The Bundesliga side opened their first international office in New York in 2014 with the purpose of helping the growth of soccer and supporting academies in North America. This was an immediate success for Bayern and they decided to open an office in Shanghai in 2017 and Bangkok in 2022.