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GC is apparently being sold to Chinese investors again.
Bild: KI
The record-holding Zurich soccer club is facing another change of ownership. A Chinese investor group appears to be prevailing and is bringing in a FIFA lawyer as the new boss.
As the business media outlet “tippinpoint” reports, Grasshopper Club Zurich is getting new owners. The current owners from California are reportedly selling the record champions to Chinese investors. Rumors about this have been circulating for some time, and blue News also reported on it two weeks ago.
It has now been revealed that the last potential Swiss investors have withdrawn from the bidding process—a Zurich-based family office had actually intended to take over the club, but that will no longer happen.
This is because the American owners of Los Angeles FC have been negotiating exclusively since April with the Bridge Football Group, which has its primary investors in China. The sale could take place as early as this week.
Several individuals are behind the buyer group. Investor Eric Li Ying is considered a key figure. He is said to have ties to TikTok founder Zhang Yiming. His financial resources are largely unknown to the public.
The team also includes Dutch-Chinese entrepreneur Eddie Tao. Two other investors remain unnamed. The group already holds stakes in European and Asian clubs. This network includes FC Den Bosch from the Netherlands and FC Pro Vercelli 1892 from Italy. The Chinese club Shaanxi Union FC is also part of it.
The new owners have already established a company in Switzerland. The investors registered Bridge Football Group Switzerland AG in the commercial register on May 27, 2026, in Wil, St. Gallen. The company describes its purpose as follows:
“The company’s purpose is to provide services and engage in all activities related to soccer, sports, media, entertainment, and marketing both domestically and internationally. In particular, this includes the organization, marketing, and execution of sports-related activities and events; the administration and exploitation of rights of all kinds; the management and consulting for clubs and organizations; and the trade in sports-related products and services.”
Bridge Football Group Switzerland AG is already registered in the commercial register in Wil, St. Gallen.
screenshot: sg.chregister.ch
Ludovic Deléchat leads this company as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. The lawyer from French-speaking Switzerland resides in Zurich. He is also set to take on the role of the new GC President.
Deléchat currently serves as CEO of the Bridge Football Group. In this role, he already presides over two other clubs. He also sits on FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. Between 2011 and 2019, he held various positions with the world soccer governing body.
Fans of the record-breaking champions are likely to view the new owners with skepticism, as Chinese investors have not left a good impression at GC. Jenny Wang and the Fosun Group came on board in 2020. That era ended in January 2024 without any sporting success.
Jenny Wang and GC—it didn’t work out as hoped.
Keystone
Subsequently, LAFC from California took over—and is now leaving behind an even bigger mess. In April, a scandal erupted between fans and owners. The fans displayed a banner reading “Fuck Off LAFC.”
Shortly after this incident, the Californians signaled they were ready to sell. They wanted to negotiate a partial or full sale. Exclusive negotiations with the Bridge Football Group were already underway at that point.
