Most Decorated Swiss Club Grasshoppers Face Uncertain Future

LAFC co-owners may exit Grasshoppers after fan protests in Zurich  

Grasshoppers’ LAFC-linked owners open to sale, cite sustainability. Fans protested management. Club last won Swiss league 2003, Cup 2013.

Grasshoppers owners weigh sale after fan backlash over management. Club in relegation round, lost to Lausanne-Ouchy. Relegated in 2019, back 2021...

The owners of Grasshoppers, Swiss football’s most decorated club, said on Tuesday they are considering selling part or all of the Zurich side after fan protests targeting the current management.

In a statement issued by the club, the group linked to the American owners of Los Angeles FC said they are open to discussing a sale, provided that the long-term financial and sporting sustainability of Grasshoppers is ensured.

“During recent protests, fans called for us to leave the club,” the ownership group stated, adding that they are “open to discussing a partial or full sale” of the club.

Unrest has grown in recent weeks, with demonstrations during matches, and was further inflamed by a recent Swiss Cup semi-final exit to second-division Lausanne-Ouchy.

The owners also stressed that the club’s operating costs still outstrip its revenues, saying Grasshoppers depend on external investment to stay in professional football.

  

Grasshoppers ended the first phase of the Swiss league 11th out of 12 teams and are now in the relegation round with the bottom six sides.

🚨🇨🇭 Swiss team Grasshopper protested against their owners LAFC Group in the match against Luzern. 🤬

They put out a big banner saying "F*CK OFF LAFC". Grasshopper are currently in a relegation battle too. pic.twitter.com/WsCc8vzJAr

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 28, 2026

They are Swiss football’s most successful club with 27 national titles, though they haven’t won the league since 2003 or the Swiss Cup since 2013. They’ve also had several runs in the European Cup and the UEFA Cup.

In recent decades, the club has gone through sporting and financial instability, with multiple management changes and foreign investment aimed at restoring competitiveness. Grasshoppers were relegated to Switzerland’s second tier in 2019 before returning to the top flight two years later.

The group linked to Los Angeles FC acquired a majority stake in 2024, bringing Grasshoppers into an international co-ownership model that has become more common in European football.