The Vancouver Whitecaps FC Owners Announce Plans to Sell the Club

The owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC made a significant announcement on Friday, revealing their intentions to sell the club. The Major League Soccer (MLS) team’s owners, Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash, released a statement indicating that they have enlisted the services of investment bank Goldman Sachs to guide them through the sale and transition process.

“It is truly rewarding to witness the profound impact the Whitecaps have had on so many individuals and to have played a role in nurturing a vibrant and flourishing soccer community,” stated Kerfoot. “The future of the Vancouver Whitecaps is promising.”

Forbes reported that the club was valued at around $583 million last year, though no details regarding potential buyers have been disclosed by the current owners. The Whitecaps FC website traces the team’s origins back to 1973 when it began competing in the original North American Soccer League.

Kerfoot initially acquired the Whitecaps in 2002 and later formed the existing ownership consortium in 2008. The team made its MLS debut in March 2011 and has been a part of the league since then.

During this season, the Whitecaps were eliminated from the MLS playoffs in the first round after succumbing to Los Angeles FC in a best-of-three series. Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, praised the Whitecaps as “an exceptional club in a world-class city,” acknowledging the pivotal role played by the current ownership group in the team’s achievements.

“I extend my gratitude to them for their remarkable contributions and eagerly anticipate collaborating with them to identify new ownership for the club,” Garber expressed in a press release.