MLS: league awards franchise to Los Angeles FC, will launch in 2017

Los Angeles FC will be the new MLS (Major League Soccer) franchise in southern California beginning in 2017, announced the North American football league on 30/10/2014. Los Angeles FC will replace the Chivas USA franchise, which was dissolved by the league on 27/10/2014.

The ownership group of Los Angeles FC will be led by majority owner Henry Nguyen, the Vietnamese-American investment entrepreneur, along with partners Peter Guber, an American sports and entertainment businessman, and Tom Penn, a lawyer and former agent of sports players. The group also includes 19 additional minority shareholders, with more investors -- primarily based in Los Angeles -- expected to be added to the group.

• The Los Angeles FC group has bought the USSF (United States Soccer Federation) license and the MLS franchise rights to the former Chivas USA franchise from MLS. Financial terms of this purchase were not disclosed, but the acquisition amount is estimated to be $100m (€79.5m) by the American press.