Bochum enter partnership with Canadian side Pacific FC

Pacific FC are based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and won the Canadian title in 2021, earning them a place in the preliminary round of the 2022 CONCACAF League, North and Central America's equivalent to the UEFA Champions League, in the process.

They have links to German football through president and co-owner Joshua Simpson, a former Canada international who represented Kaiserslautern 62 times in Bundesliga 2 during a three-year spell at Lautern between 2006 and 2009.

“For us, the partnership with VfL Bochum is a valuable step in the club’s development and contains great potential," said Simpson. "The Canadian Premier League and Pacific FC are still young, so we have different approaches to issues in many areas than the successfully established clubs in the Bundesliga. I know from my own experience how important football is in Germany and what great impact it can have. I'm also convinced that everyone involved will benefit from the partnership.”

The partnership is part of Bochum's internationalisation strategy and “Vision 100+” growth plan, which the club hopes will generate €100 million in revenue.

It comes hot on the heels of their announcement in March that they have also entered a similar agreement with Japanese J1 League club Júbilo Iwata.

“The Canadian soccer market and Pacific FC in particular are an excellent fit for VfL’s ambitions, not only because Canada will co-host the FIFA World Cup with the USA in 2026,” said Tim Jost, Bochum's Director of Marketing & Sales and Executive Board member.

“We've had the Canadian Premier League in our focus for a long time, for us the market is absolutely right because of its cultural proximity and is more than exciting with its potential. Here, too, we will act holistically and, in addition to sport, also strive for economic cooperation and educational partnerships."