Chicago Dutch Lions FC
EIN: # for-profit LLC · Tax status: tax status not yet verified
Overview
Founded in December 2020 as the eighth club in the Dutch Lions Capital Group network. Based in Chicago, Illinois. Operates men’s and women’s semi-professional teams and a youth training school.
Teams & Players
- Men’s Team: USL League Two (4th tier). Added 2022.
- Women’s Team: USL W League (2nd tier). Won 2021 WPSL Best Franchise of the Year for their conference.
- Youth/Training School: Premier Academy (U7-U12) and Amateur Academy. All Premier Academy coaches hold UEFA A or B licenses; Amateur Academy coaches hold minimum UEFA C. Programs include video analysis every 6 weeks, individual coach-player evaluations, nutrition workshops, and professional player mentoring.
League Affiliations
- USL League Two (men’s)
- USL W League (women’s)
No ECNL, MLS NEXT, or Girls Academy affiliation.
Leadership
- Nikhil Erlebach — CEO. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany; former FC St. Pauli youth academy player.
- Artur Methoxha — Co-founder
- Bryan Sutherland — Co-founder (joined ownership 2021)
- Gert-Jan van Leiden — Camps/clinics coordinator
Competitive Position
Chicago is an extremely competitive youth soccer market with major clubs like Chicago Fire Academy (MLS NEXT), Eclipse Select SC (ECNL), Sockers FC (ECNL), and many others. Dutch Lions is a minor presence, operating at a lower competitive tier than the established elite pathway clubs.
Investment Thesis
Minimal standalone relevance. The Chicago market is already saturated. The youth training school model (focused on younger ages U7-U12 with strong coaching credentials) is an interesting micro-case study but not at acquisition scale.
Open Questions
- Youth academy enrollment numbers?
- Facility details — where do teams train and play?
- Financial profile?