MLS
Los Angeles FC acquire 90% of historic Swiss side Grasshopper Zurich
The MLS franchise expands its portfolio and becomes the new majority shareholder of Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Club Zürich.
The ownership group behind MLS giants Los Angeles FC have added a new professional club to their portfolio after they acquired 90% of Grasshopper Club Zurich, one of the most successful clubs in the history of Swiss football. The group of almost 30 investors that owns LAFC has announced the acquisition of 90% of the rights of the Zurich based outfit with the current owners retain a smaller holding share in the club. No details relating to the economic aspect of the deal have been released.
The visible face of the Swiss club’s management so far has been Jenny Wang, wife of Guo Guang Chang, a powerful Chinese businessman and founder of Fosun International, a business conglomerate that has more than 87 different entities, including Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The investor owners of Los Angeles FC now add the oldest club in Swiss football and 27-time league winners to their assets after the recent purchase (in 2023) of FC Wacker Innsbruck, with the side currently in the Austrian second division.
Los Angeles FC’s ambitions
In addition to its new Swiss and Austrian properties, the LAFC ownership group have also forged a partnership with Bayern Munich in the Red & Gold Football academy to develop young talented players in Africa and South America, with training agreements in place with Uruguay and Gambia. Much of his work was reflected in the impressive showing by the Gambia National Team in the last U-20 World Cup.
LAFC get their 2024 MLS season underway with a high profile clash against Seattle Sounders at BMO Stadium before travelling to face Real Salt Lake in the second matchday of the campaign.