Fan Owned Club

Fan experiences are common.  But unless you work in a front office or are incredibly wealthy, the opportunity to get behind the scenes of a professional sports club are rare.

Fan Owned Club changes that, giving all Fan Owners the chance to see and participate in the inner workings of a soccer club, by bringing the community membership model common in Europe and brings it to the United States.

We aim to develop Austria’s FC Pinzgau (FCPS) into a truly global Club, giving international players, coaches and executives an entry point and a home in European football (soccer) and in the process making Pinzgau a recognizable name across North America, Europe and beyond. 

FC PINZGAU SAALFELDEN

Locally known as “Pinzgau,” the Club was born in 2007. Rising from the lower divisions, FC Pinzgau Saalfelden currently competes as one of 62 teams in Austria’s third division.  A player loan deal with MLS Club, Real Salt Lake in Summer 2019 helped deliver the strongest start in Club history. Prior to the Covid-19 suspension of our season, FCPS was the favorite amongst the six teams from "Regionalliga Salzburg" competing for promotion this Spring.

THE MANAGER

Legendary German footballer Christian Ziege signed a multi-year deal after joining as interim coach in Spring 2019. A former player with Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Liverpool and Tottenham, Ziege was a Euro 96 winner, a World Cup runner-up in 2002 and has 72 caps playing with the German national team. Christian's involvement has helped make Pinzgau a destination for young players to develop their game, including Pablo Ruiz, who recently signed a multiyear MLS contract after spending the fall season with FCPS in 2019.

"Our single biggest recruiting tool, by far, is the sterling reputation of Christian Ziege. He is that DNA, that connective tissue.” - Trey Fitz-Gerald

WHY AUSTRIA

Austria is consistently ranked in the top 12 of the 55 UEFA federations, sending five teams each year to the Champions or Europa leagues.  The recent success of Red Bull Salzburg and LASK are a testament to the strength of play, yet the costs to compete are a fraction of what would be expected in many other top flight leagues.  

FC Pinzgau has untapped potential beyond the men's first side - women's team, men's second side and a well established youth program - and combine this with a bucket list beautiful home facility nestled in the Austrian Alps, and the choice of this club becomes clear.  

In June of 2019, Fan Owned Club began jointly managing FCPS before finalizing the purchase of the LLC (GmbH) that operates FC Pinzgau Saalfelden and makes all Club-related decisions in December 2019. Similar to club ownership in Germany, the Austrian Federation requires a non-profit entity (Verein) to hold the actual license to compete. The Verein is controlled by six members, all of whom hold significant ownership within Fan Owned Club.

BENEFITS OF FAN OWNERSHIP

1. Exclusive and Early Access to Club Related Content and Live Match Streaming

2. Limited Edition Apparel and Other Perks Based on Investment Level

3. Cultivate Policy and Involvement in Club Decisions

4. Monthly Interaction with Club Leaders and Staff including Manager, Sporting Director and Players

5. Rights to Attend Annual FCPS Club Meeting in Austria & VIP Access to Future North American Events