April 18 – LAFC, the 2022 MLS Cup Champions, have announced they are investing in Austrian club FC Wacker Innsbruck.
No details of the investment or the LAFC stake in the club have been released. The deal is pending the approval of the FC Wacker Innsbruck Board and Association.
FC Wacker Innsbruck currently plays in the Hypo Tirol Liga, the fourth division of Austrian football.
Although only formed in June 2002 as FC Wacker Tirol, the club see themselves as the spiritual continuation of the team FC Tirol Innsbruck who were made bankrupt in 2022, as well as the original FC Wacker Innsbruck which was founded in 1913. In recognition of the the club renamed to FC Wacker Innsbruck in 2007.
“We are incredibly honored and excited to work with FC Wacker Innsbruck for the opportunity to pursue an investment in this Club,” said LAFC EVP of Corporate Strategy and Development Benny Tran.
The club were promoted to the top tier just three years after formation, but have generally fluctuated between the Bundesliga and the second division. In 2021/22 season the club failed to apply for a license and were subsequently relegated to the fourth tier.
The club is set up to compete at the higher levels of Austrian football, playing at the 16,000-capacity Tivoli-Neu stadium in Innsbruck, the largest ground in its current division.
“FC Wacker Innsbruck obviously has a storied history with legendary supporters, and because of that – we believe in this Club. We believe in this fanbase, and we believe that together we can rebuild a winning team that will ultimately return to the Bundesliga,” said Tran.
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