Angel City-Klarna deal on green spaces

Article posted by Coliseum, November 9^th, 2021

Image: Angel City FC

Challenging the status quo along with the nature to push boundaries are just two things the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team Angel City FC (US) has in common with its latest partner, the financial company Klarna. Since its inception, the game-changing fintech company has been transforming how people shop and pay, enabling consumers to avoid credit card fees and high interest rates.

The ‘Angel City FC’ stated that together, ACFC and Klarna strive to instill industrywide changes that improve outcomes for everyone involved. The multiyear deal will bring flexible payment options to fans, with Klarna as the official payment partner on the team store. ACFC fans will be able to join over 90 million global Klarna users to buy team swag and the latest threads.

The Angel City Football Club is a planned National Women’s Soccer League expansion team that is expected to begin play in 2022. The team will be based in Los Angeles, California (US), and was announced on July 21^st, 2020.

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The 22,000-capacity Banc of California Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California (US). It is the home of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC and future home of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women’s soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.

The Klarna Bank AB, commonly referred to as Klarna, is a Swedish fintech company that provides online financial services such as payments for online store fronts and direct payments along with post-purchase payments. The company has more than 3,500 employees, most of them working at the headquarters in Stockholm (Sweden) and Berlin (Germany).

The ‘Angel City FC’ further stated that as part of the agreement, ACFC and Klarna are creating an annual limited-edition capsule collection for fans kicking off in 2022. On the ACFC website fans will also be able to purchase their gear with Klarna. For select matches, fans can debut their new jerseys, hats and other fashion statements on Klarna’s ‘Smoooth Pink Carpet’ entrance that will take over the stadium gate entry for a unique fan experience.

Klarna is also helping ACFC with a different kind of green. Besides offering accessible payment options to fans, Klarna and ACFC have partnered to give back to the greater Los Angeles community. All ACFC sponsorships dedicate 10 percent of funds to address the team’s mission of supporting the impact pillars of equity, essentials and education. Klarna will join ACFC in creating more green spaces in the City. The effort will bring much-needed nature experiences to areas that lack green spaces while also supporting biodiversity and more places to play.

Giving back is nothing new to Klarna, either. On top of empowering payment solutions for modern shoppers, the service founded Give One. One percent of all funding rounds are funneled toward efforts in planet health initiatives. Their focus on using capital for a meaningful impact on the environment compliments the ACFC focus on improving LA communities. ACFC Founder and President Julie Uhrman explained that by pledging 10 percent of the Klarna sponsorship, the two companies will “work together to create green spaces across LA, therefore encouraging kids to get out and play more – a first for ACFC.”

A closer look at access to the greenery in greater LA is staggeringly low. Los Angeles ranks #74 out of 100 US Cities in park space. The equitable distribution of park acreage according to race and income is problematic. The Trust for Public Land notes that “residents in neighborhoods of color have access to 13 percent less park space per person than the city median and 66 percent less than those in White neighborhoods.” With clear disparities between the development of and access to green spaces, ACFC and Klarna can target disadvantaged communities with much-needed access and education regarding natural spaces.

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