Invest in Fan Owned Club

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!” Of course, you can be one of those owners.

FC PINZGAU SAALFELDEN

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, in 2021 FC Pinzgau Saalfelden is in a heated battle for one of those coveted top two spots in the league - with plenty of excitement ahead! 

THE MANAGER

Legendary German footballer Christian Ziege signed a multi-year deal to manage the team, after joining 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 recently signed a multi-year MLS contract after spending the fall season with FCPS in 2019. This season FC Pinzgau has a duo on loan from Seattle Sounders, players with Junior USMNT experience under their belts.

"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 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 get some kind of 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 sit 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