The owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps announced on Friday they are preparing to sell the club.
In a statement issued by the club, the group said, “It is the right time for an owner with the platform, resources and ambition to enhance the club’s ability to compete at the highest levels of MLS and steward the club in realizing its significant potential.”
The group hired Goldman Sachs to help sell the team and guide the transition.
Greg Kerfoot has been the owner of the club since 2002 when it was part of the North American Soccer League. Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash joined Kerfoot in 2008, and the Whitecaps became part of MLS in 2011.
“It is gratifying to see how meaningful the Whitecaps have become to so many and to have been able to contribute to the growth of a vibrant and thriving soccer community,” Kerfoot said.
“The future of the Vancouver Whitecaps is bright.”
According to Forbes, the club was worth approximately $583 million last year. The owners did not share any information about potential buyers.
The Whitecaps FC website says the team was announced in 1973 and started playing in the original North American Soccer League.
Kerfoot first acquired the Whitecaps in 2002 and formed the current ownership group in 2008.
In March 2011, the Whitecaps played its first season in the MLS, where it has played since.
This year, the team was eliminated from the first round of MLS playoffs after losing a best-of-three matchup to Los Angeles FC.
Don Garber, commissioner of the MLS, said in a news release the Whitecaps “are a terrific club in a world-class city.”
He added the team’s success would not be possible without the current owners.
“I want to thank them for their tremendous contributions and look forward to working with them to identify new ownership for the club,” Garber said.
