For over two decades the city of Los Angeles did not have an NFL team. Now they have two in the space of a year.
The San Diego Chargers are to move to the city ahead of the 2017 season. They follow in the footsteps of the St. Louis Rams, who returned to their former home after a twenty-year hiatus last season.
In a season where the Chargers finished with a 5-11 record, the team have struggled to fill their ageing stadium. In a 32-team league, the team had the 31st-best average attendance in the NFL.
While the news of an impending move had be rumoured for months, and still has not been officially confirmed, the news was broken by ESPN about the news.
San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium is one of the oldest in the NFL, having opened in 1967. It also hosted baseball matches until 2003.
The leak might be the last roll of the dice from the Chargers owners to get public funding for a new stadium, something that has eluded them for the past decade. Despite not being confirmed the news looks all but confirmed.
Chargers ownership has until to inform the NFL about their decision, but the move will be a formality, once confirmed.
A second NFL team is to join the Rams in a purpose-built stadium in 2019, meaning the Chargers will need a temporary home for their first two seasons. As the Rams are currently play in the LA Coliseum, the Chargers are reported to be interested in playing in the StubHub Center, home of MLS-side LA Galaxy.
