Rainer E. Gut and Fritz Gerber will quit as investors this year. This does not come as a surprise, as both stated that their involvement will be limited in time when they took over in '99. Back then - Gut, Gerber, and Uli Albers all became investors of GC to keep the club from being sold to a foreign investor, and therefore keeping the club in Swiss hands. The foreign investor at the time was AEG (Yes, MLS' Uncle Phil). Gerber and Gut invested about 60 mio. CHF into GC since '99 and agreed to pay for costs not only for the remainder of this season, but also for next season until new investors are found. In an interview with Blick, once upon a time GC investor (before '99) Werner H. Spross said that he will not return as an investor. He also suggested that GC and FC Zurich should merge. A "Zurich United" would have combined resources and combined fan-support in the new stadium. I don't know what to think of all this. As of right now the future doesn't look all that bright at the Hardturm
One team in Zurich would make sense, but would the two teams be able to do it? I think the fans would have a difficult time. But I do think that one team makes financial sense.
I personally don't have a problem with it. Sure, it would suck to lose the derby and rivalry, but it would make economic sense. Probably more FCZ fans would have a difficult time than the other way around. The question is, can a Swiss city continue to support 2 football teams (in addition to 2 hockey teams? If anyone, it would have to be Zurich. But I personally think that the sport fanbase in Zurich is too split up with Grasshoppers, FC Zurich, ZSC Lions, Kloten Flyers, and to a lesser extent the Grasshoppers Handball team. The soccer and hockey teams all draw attendances in the 7,000. I think a merger would make sense, but I don't really see it happening. Much more probable is FC Zurich folding after Sven Hotz (their president and investor) will not be there anymore...
Would the FC Zurich fans and the Grasshopper fans have a really hard time supporting the same team? Do seperate economic classes support the different teams? How is the support broken down?
Like I said, I think FCZ fans would have more of a problem with it. Us GC fans are used to being the #1 in Zurich. Most FCZ fans are passionate about their club in an underdog kinda of way. They call us sellouts and glory hunters, and claim that they stay "true to themselves." The support for GC and FCZ used to be broken down pretty clearly - upper class vs. working class. But those days are over, I don't think the same applies today...