WG Vice President Andras Gurovits on the background of the deal: “Americans are a lottery pick”

Andras Gurovits, GC has new owners. Why are things better among Americans than among Chinese?
Andras Gurovits: They are all football crazy people. Of course, Zurich is not Los Angeles and vice versa. But they have proven they can be successful: since joining MLS in 2018, Los Angeles FC has become champions and cup winners. American culture is – without being judgmental – closer to Swiss culture than Chinese culture, and less hierarchical. I consider your announcement to listen to the opinions of the WG community to be anything but empty words.

Was it enough to praise the rankings as record champions and tell them about long-ago European Cup matches against Real Madrid to make them go on strike?
Of course not, but it certainly didn’t hurt. These people understand something about it, they know: no other sport evokes as many emotions as football. And the Americans love that. The location of Switzerland and Zurich in particular was also a strong argument for their investment. And then Switzerland has five European Cup starting places, with twelve teams in the competition. That’s attractive. The Americans want to be on the big stage with the rankings, even if it is not today and tomorrow.

What reactions have you received from GC circles since the announcement of the change of ownership?
Only positive ones. Let’s face it: the takeover by Los Angeles FC is like winning the lottery, Christmas and Easter all together for the rankings.

Why?
It is a very successful club with many interesting owners. They have proven that they can create something successful in a short time. They are already top in terms of marketing. They think internationally, which they have already proven with their partnerships in, for example, Uruguay, Gambia and Austria.

There is talk of a long-term involvement of Americans in the WG. What time frame are we talking about?
From a two-digit year.

Does this mean Los Angeles will pay the GC bills for at least a decade?
Yes.

Have you brought the GC community and the new owners together yet?
Yes, with members of the central board. And coincidentally, there was also a meeting of the young Thursday club on Thursday evening. New ownership representatives Stacy Johns and Larry Freedman spontaneously stopped by for half an hour, introduced themselves and presented their ideas. The spark has already been ignited. More such introductory events are planned.

The club is suffering double-digit losses in the millions and has not made any progress in sports since its promotion in 2021. As a GC fan, should you be happy that someone has taken over the shares?
I can’t disagree with that. Just as we should be grateful to the previous owners from China for the takeover in 2020 in the middle of the Corona crisis. Otherwise, professional football would probably no longer exist in the GC cosmos today.

Do you secretly regret that there was once again no Swiss solution for GC?
It is crucial that GC gets a good solution. It is, and this is central, supported by the foundation and the central board. Their support was important. We now have the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge, financial strength, network and enthusiasm of Americans. By the way: GC was founded in 1886 by the Englishman Tom E. Griffith. Since our birth, we have been anchored as an entire club in Zurich, but also internationally.

Is it correct to assume that GC was a losing proposition for the Chinese? After a total of about 50 million invested.
I cannot provide any information about the sales price.

Former owner Jenny Wang had unrealistic price expectations for a long time. In the end, was she just happy to be rid of GC?
A concession from the Chinese was probably necessary. But I should point out at this point that it was also important for Jenny Wang that the rankings were in good hands. For this she deserves the thanks of the GC family.

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What value does the GC brand still have?
Certainly bigger abroad than in Switzerland. I hope this changes again. That we can get more fans to the stadium again and that Swiss sponsors are interested in participating in the rankings.

What if the breakthrough in negotiations with the Americans had not been achieved shortly before Christmas?
The Chinese would not have simply left the GC hanging. This is also a matter of pride. But of course: if no solution had been found, adjustments would probably have been necessary. Ultimately, the Chinese were no longer willing to invest.

Were you afraid that the Americans would change their minds during the flight to Zurich?
Since the weekend, when all the details were clarified verbally, I finally calmed down. And I think I can sleep a little more now.

As chairman of the GC Foundation, why were you so closely involved in the sales process? With 3.5 percent shares, the foundation – said in German – has nothing to report.
Thanks to the triangular agreement between the owners, Grasshoppers Fussball AG and the foundation, we were in the picture early on. In the event of a sale, the foundation has the right of first refusal. We have supported this idea from the start. Although he did not directly participate in the negotiations as a representative of the foundation and as a member of the board, he was always involved. That was helpful.

If, like you, you are so close to the takeover by the Chinese and now the new transfer of ownership, the question inevitably arises: do you receive a commission for your brokerage services?
Not a cent.

According to “The Athletic”, more than 31 million francs were paid in consultancy fees when Ineos joined Manchester United.
If I hear that, I must have done something wrong (laughs). Seriously: I have a big heart for classification, I learned to love the club as a child and as a board member since 2015 I also see it as my duty to fight for a good solution. Even though it took a lot of sweat and many sleepless nights.

The new owners want to hire a new CEO, who is also president, as soon as possible. Is it true that you recommended Fredy Bickel to the Americans?
It’s too early to talk about specific names. The new owners are analyzing everything, as they have made clear. However, I am happy to contribute my views to discussions on personnel and other issues.

When new owners come, they often want to do things their own way and with their own people. Should sports director Bernt Haas and coach Bruno Berner be afraid of being fired?
I do not believe that. As the new owners have announced: they have informed themselves in advance about the club and the player selection, but now they also want to hear their own opinion, talk to everyone and then decide what should be done. I also think our athletic department is doing well overall. Under anything but easy circumstances in recent months.

A difficult problem is the lack of a football stadium in Zurich. Did Americans know that GC has no homeland?
Yes, and they got in anyway. Although the stadium experience is especially important to them: the matches in Los Angeles have been completely sold out for years and are an event.

Will the home games of the rankings also become an event from now on?
We’ll see, we certainly hope so. But we don’t have to beat around the bush here either: the best recipe to attract more spectators to the stadium is sporting success. Without this it won’t work in the long run.

Do Americans also know that the fan culture in Switzerland is different than in the US? Unfortunately, the discussion in this country often revolves around property damage and outbreaks of violence.
They will also be informed about this. And on this point we agree: there is a complete lack of understanding that violence takes place around football matches. Without violence and material damage, initiatives like the cascade model would not exist and no measures would be needed.

The first classification home game under the new owners will take place next week. How will supporters recognize the American signature?
Everything won’t change at once. But it is not without reason that the moment of transfer of ownership is at the beginning of the transfer period. I can’t say when that will happen, but the team will probably be strengthened. The new owners have already prepared for this in recent weeks.

Super League 23/24

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	BSC Young Boys	19	24	41
	2	FC St. Gallen	19	13	36
	3	FC Zurich	18	14	31
	4	Napkin FC	18	8th	31
	5	FC Lugano	18	2	26
	6	FC Lucerne	18	-5	25
	7	FC Winterthur	18	-7	22
	8th	Grasshopper Club Zurich	19	0	21
	9	Yverdon Sports FC	18	-14	21
	10	FC Lausanne Sport	19	-6	20
	11	FC Basel	18	-10	18
	12	FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy	18	-19	11