Los Angeles FC, more stars in the offices than on the pitch

Carlos Vela –formerly of Real Sociedad– was the first stone, Giorgio Chiellini –who arrived as a free agent from Juventus Turin – will lay the foundations on the back line and Gareth Bale is the icing on the cake. Founded in 2014, this new and blossoming side, Los Angeles Football Club began in 2018. When Chivas USA dissolved six years ago, it made space in the MLS for the team from the Californian city. The club made their debut in 2018 beating the Seattle Sounders 1-0.

They are in their fourth season in the MLS, and already growing in class and quality on the pitch. With the arrival of the Italian defender and the Welsh attacker Los Angeles FC begins to ‘collect’ stars, but there are even more celebrities who patrol the front offices of the Californian team. People may not know who the top investros, Henry Nguyen, Peter Guber and Tom Penn are, but there are 29 joint “owners” of the club. Some of the most famous names in sports and entertainment, including Earvin “Magic” Johnson, former Lakers player; actor Will Ferrell; Mia Hamm, two-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist with the US women’s soccer team; and the businessman Brandon Beck, creator of the famous video game League of Legends have stake in the club.

The $110 million that the first investors of the club put on the table to be able to register in the MLS was just the first step. The owners of Los Angeles FC invested another 250 million in the construction of the new sports facilities and the Banc of California Stadium. The stadium was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in May 2016 and inaugurated in April 2018 with a narrow victory against the Seattle Sounders. It was built on the old LA Sports Arena and has a capacity for 22,000 spectators. A stadium located just over 12 miles (almost 20 kilometers) from the Rancho Park Golf Academy in Los Angeles.