Fan Owned Club

It's no secret that our passionate fans are the cornerstone of everything we do, but our aspirations reach far beyond just the clubhouse.

There has never been a more interesting time in the history of sports - where fan engagement, interaction and experiences are all blending together to form a single connection.

Fan Owned Club aspires to be the central project that brings it all together behind our unique Fan + Owner experience including insider access, influence on operations and the opportunity for profit when things go well.

We want to share the future vision of the organization for you to see the bigger picture and the opportunities that lie ahead.

There are three main pillars we're building out as we expand into our model:

1. Productize the Fan + Owner Experience

We are building a platform to consistently deliver and scale our experience, starting with the launch of our mobile app in early 2023. Later, to enhance equity and liquidity, we plan to establish a token based economy backed by our Fans and Fan Owners.

2. Grow our audience beyond the current Fan Owner base

In 2023 we enter the fast growing women’s soccer market by bringing U.S. players to Austria to help raise our women’s team from the third division to the first division, start the region's first Women’s Academy and establish Fan Owned Club as a destination for women’s soccer.

3. Partner with and acquire more Soccer Clubs

There are over thousands of lower division clubs that are looking to deepen their relationship with their fan base and broaden that base beyond their local area - exactly what we have done with our first club. We are actively looking and valuing clubs looking for the next clubs to apply our proven playbook.

MOUNTAINOUS PINE BLUES IS THE COLOR

Great fan experiences are commonplace in the world of sports, but unless you happen to work in a front office or you’re incredibly wealthy, the opportunity to get truly behind the scenes of a professional sports club are few and far between. You only have to look at the recent purchases of several of Europe’s biggest clubs to know that soccer - or football, or fußball, whichever you prefer - is moving ever further away from its supporters.

Fan Owned Club is aiming to change that, giving each and every Fan Owner the chance to see and participate in the inner workings of a soccer club, by bringing the community membership model which, in some forms, is more common in Europe, and taking it over to the United States with a twist. We also offer Fan Owners the opportunity to put their passion, their skills and their interests into the club to help shape it as it grows.

Along with our current Fan Owners, we are already well underway on our journey to develop Austria’s FC Pinzgau Saalfelden (FCPS) into a truly global club, giving international players, coaches and executives an entry point into European football, and in the process, making Pinzgau a recognizable name across North America, Europe and beyond. When people think of FC Pinzgau, we want them to think “FCPS, the Fan Owned Club!” 

OUR FIRST CLUB

FC Pinzgau Saalfelden were formed in 2007 after the merging of the town's two top football clubs 1. Saalfeldner SK (founded in 1947) and ESV Saalfelden (founded in 1952) into one unified force. Rising up from the lower divisions, the Mountainous Pine Blues currently compete as one of 62 teams in Austria’s third tier, known as the Regionalliga. The club play at the stunning Saalfelden Arena with the dramatic backdrop of the Alps making it one of the most beautiful venues for soccer in Europe.

One of the 10 members of the competitive Salzburg Regional League ("Regionalliga Salzburg"), the league rewards the top two finishers with a place in an exciting six team play-off for promotion to the nationwide 2. Liga; a 16 team league, one tier below the Admiral Bundesliga.

With a mantra of introducing exciting young loanees, alongside a core of experienced local Austrian talent, Fan Owned Club’s involvement in FCPS has pushed the club into becoming a promotion favorite. After two seasons curtailed by the pandemic, FC Pinzgau Saalfelden is in a heated battle for one of those coveted top two spots in the league this season. 

THE PINZGAU PEDIGREE

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

Last season, a duo from Seattle Sounders joined on loan with Sota Kitahara returning and garnering a first team contact. 

Over the last years, former Pinzgau players who've played under former Sporting Director Christian Ziege's tutelage have returned to their respective clubs rejuvenated and revitalizing their professional careers.

MLS' Real Salt Lake's Pablo Ruiz and Andrew Brody significantly contributed to their run in the Western Conference playoffs, with Andrew being named 2022 RSL Defensive Player of the Year.

Josh Heard led Pacific FC to the Canadian Premier League title.

Alfusainey Jatta won the Latvian Cup and League title.

Between these relationships with sporting clubs in North America and now a strategic partnership with Shooting Stars in Ghana, we will continue to attract players and talents to the region, creating more enthusiasm along our path towards promotion to the second division.

WHY AUSTRIA?

Austria is consistently performing above the expectations of the average soccer fan, with the Bundesliga here constantly ranked in and around the top 10 of UEFA’s 55 federations. From the 12-team Bundesliga, six teams will vie for a chance to qualify for European competition the following season, whether in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League or the brand new Europa Conference League.

Whilst aiming for Europe might be a lofty and long-term goal, the success of small but well-run clubs like Wolfsberger AC and LASK (who have faced off against the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and AS Roma in recent seasons) is a testament to the quality and strength of the sport in Austria’s top league, and a great example of what can be achieved on a very modest budget compared to many other top flight European leagues.

Whilst the success of Red Bull Salzburg in Europe is acting as a fantastic draw for Austrian football, and attracting considerable international interest, they are of course in a rather different budget ballpark than their Austrian league rivals, making the successes of the other teams even more inspirational. 

ABOUT AUSTRIAN FOOTBALL

• Austria is ranked 8th of 55 UEFA nations with five places in European play (2 Champions League, 3 Europa)
• 70% of Austrian Bundesliga (First Division) Clubs are profitable; average Second Division (2. Liga) is break-even
• Estimated Team Values: Regionalliga (EUR 2-3M); 2. Liga (EUR 10-15M); Bundesliga (EUR 30-50M)
• Average Club Budget: Bundesliga (EUR 12.5M); 2. Liga (EUR 2.5M); Regionalliga (EUR $400K)
• Best MLS Club would be mid-level within League, whereas most other MLS Club would be suited or 2. Liga
• Austrian Football Association requires First Division to be debt-free, per UEFA Financial Fair Play rules)
• Third division is primarily semi-pro and community-based and most do not seek promotion (previously an eighth-placed team was promoted as only applicant)

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.

THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN SAALFELDEN

1920 - ATSV Saalfelden are founded.

1934 - ATSV Saalfelden ceased operations due to dissolution of all workers’ sports clubs under the Nazi regime.

1946 - ATSV Saalfelden are re-established post World War II.

1947 - 1. Saalfeldner SK are founded 20 May 1947 and entered in the Austrian third division.

1951 - ATSV Saalfelden are incorporated into local sports club ESV Saalfelden.

1959 - ESV Saalfelden become the Salzburger Liga National Class South Champions (third division).

1983 - 1. Saalfeldner SK win the Salzburger Liga (third division).

1990 - ESV Saalfelden & 1. Saalfeldner SK both win league championships.

1995 - ESV Saalfelden become Salzburger Liga Champions.

2004 - 1. Saalfeldner SK and ESV Saalfelden partner into a combined team called SG Saalfelden.

2007 - SG Saalfelden become FC Pinzgau Saalfelden on 23 May 2007.

2011 - FC Pinzgau Saalfelden win the Salzburger Liga (fourth division).

2014 - FC Pinzgau Saalfelden become champions of the Salzburger Liga for a second time.

2018 - FC Pinzgau Saalfelden reach the final of the SFV-Stiegl-Landescup for the first time.

2018 – Fan Owned Club arrives at the club, with former AC Milan, Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder Christian Ziege brought in as manager.

2019 – An international squad, with 10 nationalities, finish second in the Regionalliga Salzburg regular season.

2020 – FC Pinzgau Saalfelden finish second in the Regionalliga Salzburg as the COVID-19 Pandemic postpones any chance of promotion.

2021 – FC Pinzgau Saalfelden enjoy one of their best seasons and finish third in the Regionalliga Salzburg regular season.

BENEFITS OF FAN OWNERSHIP

+ Exclusive and Early Access to Club Related Content and Live Match Streaming*

+ Limited Edition Apparel and Other Perks Based on Investment Level

+ Cultivate Policy and Involvement in Club Decisions

+ Monthly Interaction with Club Leaders including Manager, Sporting Director and Players

+ Rights to Attend Annual FCPS Club Meeting in Austria & VIP Access to Events