LAFC offers to sell Swiss side Grasshopper Club Zurich after fan protests

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Srdjan Radulovic / NurPhoto via Getty Images Share articleAfter widespread protests by supporters of Grasshopper Club Zurich, the club’s owners, MLS side LAFC, has offered to sell the club. Grasshoppers, the most successful Swiss club with 27 titles, is currently 11th in the 12-team league and is likely headed for the relegation playoff to try to stay in the top flight. Supporters unfurled a banner this weekend that read simply: “F— OFF LAFC”. The club’s ultras left their section empty for the first 30 minutes of the match in protest. “Recent protests have called for us to leave the club,” LAFC said in a statement released on the Grasshoppers website. “We wish to state clearly that we are open to discussions regarding a partial or full sale, provided it secures the club’s long-term sustainability.” LAFC bought a majority stake in the club in 2024. This time last year, Grasshoppers needed to win the relegation playoff to remain in the top flight as well. “The financial reality remains that (Grasshoppers’) running costs continue to exceed its current revenues, and the club depends on ongoing external support to compete in professional football,” the statement read. It has been a tumultuous period for Grasshoppers. The club was relegated in 2019, the first time in 68 years. They bounced back to the top flight after two seasons in the second tier. The last time Grasshoppers won the league was back in 2003. LAFC bought a 90 percent stake in the Swiss outfit from Hong Kong-based Champion Union, hoping to revive a historic giant in the league. Merely two years later, they are being chased out by the fans. “Without continued investment from ownership, the club will not exist as a professional football organization,” the statement read. “However, should that be the genuine wish of the supporters we are willing to engage in discussions on that basis as well.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms