Pacific FC agree strategic partnership with Bundesliga club Bochum

Canadian Premier League franchise Pacific FC and Bundesliga side VfL Bochum have agreed on a strategic club partnership. The partnership with the CPL team is part of VfL Bochum’s international growth strategy and an important part of the ‘Vision 100+’ growth plan. As part of the plan, Bochum hope to achieve a financial turnover of at least €100m. As part of the club’s international growth strategy Bochum have also signed a partnership with Japanese club Júbilo Iwata.

“The Canadian soccer market, and Pacific FC in particular, is an excellent fit for VfL's ambitions, not only because Canada will co-host the FIFA World Cup with the USA in 2026,” Bochum director of marketing & sales and member of the executive board Tim Jost said. “We've had the Canadian Premier League on our radar for some time, and the market is right for us because of its cultural proximity, among other things, and its potential is more than exciting. Here, too, we will take a holistic approach and strive for economic cooperation and educational partnerships in addition to sport.”

As part of the partnership, Bochum hope to gain access to a market that is increasingly developing young and exciting talent. With that in mind, there will be a close exchange the areas of coaching development, scouting and match analysis. “The partnership with Pacific FC is a special one for us, as it involves both the men and the women across all clubs,” VfL Bochum managing director sport Patrick Fabian said.  “The Canadian soccer market is one of the up-and-coming markets in men's soccer and will continue to develop rapidly with a view to the 2026 World Cup. Canadian women's soccer has already been among the international leaders for years. We will therefore certainly be able to benefit from each other.”

Cooperation with Bochum a “valuable step” in Pacific FC’s development

Pacific FC are a founding member of the Canadian Premier League and are the only club not named Forge FC to have won a league title in 2021. This year the club celebrated a major milestone when Sean Young became the first player in club history to reach 100 games across all competitions for the club. Young, in many ways, is an excellent example of why the CPL was founded. Born and raised in Victoria, Young has been given a platform on which to present his talent, something that wouldn’t have been possible in the past.

Despite the positives, the growth of the CPL has not been without hiccups. Earlier this year the league was in open conflict with its television partner OneSoccer. There have also been reports that several clubs are up for sale and that the owners have invested over $125m into the CPL project. “I can’t speak for the owners, but they would probably listen if the right offer came along,” CPL commissioner Mark Noonan said in an exclusive interview with Transfermarkt in April. “I would add that CPL is a very attractive proposition given where we are in our growth curve.  We are an early-stage sports league with our best years ahead of us."

The fact that in Bochum, a Bundesliga club has now signed a partnership agreement with a CPL club underlines Noonan’s statement. “For us, the partnership with VfL Bochum is a valuable step in the club's development and has great potential,” president and co-owner of Pacific FC Josh Simpson said. "The Canadian Premier League and Pacific FC are still young, so in many areas we have different approaches to issues than the successfully established clubs in the Bundesliga,” the former Bundesliga star added. Learning from Bochum, a club that has punched above its weight in the Bundesliga, will definitely be an incredible opportunity for Pacific FC and can only help the growth of the CPL overall.