LAFC entered into an official long-term strategic partnership with Grasshopper Club Zürich of the Swiss Super League. The partnership includes LAFC becoming the new majority shareholder in Grasshopper Football Ltd. Grasshopper Fussball Stiftung will continue to hold a minority interest in the Club.
“We are so excited to partner with GC Zürich,” LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman said. “Grasshopper Club Zürich is an iconic brand in both Swiss and European football, with an incredible tradition of success and a foundation built on developing top-level talent. LAFC is honored to work together on this long-term partnership with the GC Zürich community and all the supporters as we begin our collaboration.”
GC Zürich is one of the most storied clubs in Switzerland, founded in 1886 and owning a record 27 Swiss Championships and 19 Swiss Cup titles. This success has long been the result of a consistent and strong focus on talent development, which will be a strategic cornerstone of the long-term partnership. The first Swiss team to play in the UEFA Champions League, GC Zürich currently sit in 8th place in the Swiss Super League.
“We warmly welcome LAFC to GC Zürich,” Member of the GCZ Supervisory Board (Verwaltungsrat) András Gurovits said. “In our initial talks and throughout all of our discussions, we feel confident that this long-term partnership will move this special Club in the right direction.”
LAFC is one of the most successful teams in MLS since joining the league in 2018, winning the 2022 MLS Cup and the 2019 and 2022 Supporters’ Shield. LAFC advanced to the finals of the 2023 Concacaf Champions League and the MLS Cup.
The partnership with GC Zürich aligns with LAFC`s global vision of building winning teams by providing unique platforms for the development of top young talent. LAFC continues to expand its brand globally, as the Club invested in Austria’s FC Wacker Innsbruck and founded the joint venture Red&Gold Football with its partners FC Bayern München for talent development in markets like South America and Africa in 2023.
Moelis & Company acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Grasshopper Football Ltd.
