LAFC and Grasshopper Club Zürich are now in an long-term strategic partnership
Announced last week, LAFC and Grasshopper Club Zürich of the Swiss Super League have formally established a long-term strategic alliance. As part of the partnership, LAFC will now own a majority stake in Grasshopper Football Ltd. The Club will continue to have a partial ownership held by Grasshopper Fussball Stiftung.
“We are so excited to partner with GC Zürich,” said LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman about the LAFC and Grasshopper Club Zürich partnership. “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, one of Switzerland’s most illustrious clubs, was established in 1886 and has won a record 27 Swiss Championships and 19 Swiss Cups. Talent development has always been a key component of our success and will remain so going forward as a strategic pillar of our collaboration. 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,” said Member of the GCZ Supervisory Board (Verwaltungsrat) András Gurovits. “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.”
Since entering the MLS in 2018, LAFC has emerged as one of the league’s most successful clubs, taking home the Supporters’ Shield in 2019 and 2022 along with the 2022 MLS Cup. LAFC progressed to the MLS Cup and Concacaf Champions League finals in 2023.
The LAFC and Grasshopper Club Zürich partnership is in line with the Black and Gold’s goal of creating successful teams by offering exceptional venues for the advancement of talent. As part of its ongoing worldwide brand expansion, LAFC invested in FC Wacker Innsbruck in Austria and established Red&Gold Football in 2023 as a joint venture with FC Bayern München to nurture talent in regions including South America and Africa.
