When he stepped on-stage at LAFC's crest reveal back in January, it was unclear if comedian and actor Will Ferrell's claims he was an owner of the club was a joke or not.
It turns out, it was real, as the club revealed his involvement with the club and added him to the ownership group ahead of the team's projected start in MLS in 2018.
And on Friday, Ferrell shed some light as to why and how he got involved in the team, in an interview with ESPN.
"I love watching it generally speaking," he explained. "I don’t really have a side per se until LAFC get started and that will definitely be, obviously, my team. But I just enough watching the fact that it’s played all over the world. So many amazing players and so many top flight leagues. And hopefully MLS can be on par, eventually, with the European leagues."
And how did Ferrell end up a co-owner? It was due to his real-life role as a dad.
“Believe it or not, one of the members of the ownership group is a fellow dad and our kids go to the same school," he said. "And he sent me an email saying ‘Hey, I don’t know if this would be interesting to you. We’re forming this ownership group and I know you played soccer.' And I was talking to my wife and I said ‘This would be fantastic.'
"To get in on the ground floor with a brand new franchise, especially at this moment in time in Los Angeles is really exciting. Because I think soccer here, specifically in Southern California, so many kids are playing. Even more than before — street soccer and futsal and all the tricks you see on Youtube. It’s kind of getting the same kind of following that skateboarding got in the late '70s.”
While Ferrell joked during an interview with the "Men In Blazers" show earlier this year that he would be building LAFC's stadium by hand himself, he told ESPN on a more serious note that he knows where he'll be sitting in the stadium for games, and that the goal will be to make the fanbase inclusive as far as affordability.
“I already have my seats picked out and ready to go," he said. "I’ve seen the plans for the new stadium. It’s going to be world-class facility with an amazing view of downtown. And really well done in terms of site lines and plenty of seating for all different price levels, which is important because you don’t just want a stadium where it’s just expensive seats."
The funnyman also discussed the burgeoning rivalry with the established MLS team in the area -- the LA Galaxy.
"That’ll be great, that’ll be great. Especially when we beat them consistently," Ferrell quipped. "LA Galaxy has done so much for soccer in souther California. For MLS they’re kind of the club to emulate but I think right away I just know that there’s such an attraction to playing here in Los Angeles that there’s a really good chance we could be fairly competitive right out of the gate."
In the meantime, LAFC are remaining plenty busy. On Friday, Ferrell and several members of the club welcomed reigning English Premier League champions Leicester City, who had their trophy in tow. Photos of the event follow below:
Leicester City's Christian Fuchs holding the Premier League trophy with Ferrell.
Former England international Emile Heskey, Fuchs, Ferrell, and Leicester City forward Shinji Okazaki with the trophy.
Ferrell gives Fuchs and Okazaki LAFC hats.
Heskey, Fuchs, Ferrell, Leicester City mascot Filbert Fox and Okazaki
Another look at some of the day's big stars.
LAFC and Leicester City staff, players, owners and fans.
