Club Deportivo Guadalajara

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Club Deportivo Mierda

Full name

Club Deportivo Guadalajara
S.A. de C.V.

Nickname(s)

Las Chivas (The Goats)
Las Chivas Rayadas (The Striped Goats)
El Rebaño Sagrado (The Sacred Flock)

Founded

May 8, 1906 (as Club Unión)

Ground

Estadio Jalisco
Guadalajara, Jalisco
(Capacity 56,713)

Owner

Jorge Vergara

Manager

Efraín Flores

League

Primera División de México

Clausura 2008

Quarterfinals
1st (league)





Home colours





Away colours

Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V., usually referred to by its nickname Las Chivas (The Goats), is a Mexican association football team based in Guadalajara, Jalisco that currently competes in the Primera División de México, the highest football division in Mexico.

Guadalajara is the only football club in Mexico to exclusively field Mexican-born players. The three colors of the team red, white and blue stand for Fraternity, Union and Sports. It is one of the only two teams in Mexico that have never been relegated to the Primera Division A (2nd Division), the other being América. Along with América, they are the two most popular and supported clubs in Mexico, and their meetings signal the national derby (see el Superclásico). The team's popularity in the U.S. has led to the creation of a Major League Soccer expansion club in the United States, Chivas USA, which was initially to be comprised of Mexican and Mexican-American players (but now features a roster similar to other MLS clubs). On December 10, 2006, in the year of their Centennial, Guadalajara won its 11th professional championship, the most in Mexican football history.

[edit] Foundation and Amateur Era (1906-1943)

Edgar Everaert, Founder of Club Deportivo Guadalajara.

The team was founded on May 8th, 1906 by a young Belgian shopkeeper named Edgar Everaert , as Club de Futbol Union. Their kit was modeled on that of the founder's favourite team, the Belgian Club Brugge K.V., which consisted of vertical stripes and the color scheme was als modeled after Brugge's (which has since changed their team colors). The first team was formed with Mexican and French players (thus being named Union because of the comraderie between these players) and mostly consisted of employees of the store Fábricas de Francia with Everaert as coach^[1]^[2].

Club Deportivo Guadalajara, circa 1908

Upon returning from a trip across Europe, Everaert made the observation that European teams named after their respective town or city generated more support from fans in their communities. Thus, in 1908, with the approval of Everaert and the team's players, Club de Futbol Union would rename itself Club Deportivo Guadalajara to bring about a sense of pride within the city's population. Also in 1908, it would be decided that the team would only field Mexican-born players because of the eventual oppression Mexican nationals felt towards foreigners ^[3]. Following the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, amateur football tournaments throughout the country flourished and Guadalajara was always a protagonist. Between the years of 1906 and 1943 (the amateur era of Mexican football), Guadalajara would go on to win 13 amateur titles, the first one being in 1908. Also during this period, Guadalajara would go on to form, along with Futbol Club Atlas, the first major (and oldest) rivalry in Mexican football ^[4]. Atlas consisted of upper class football players, while Guadalajara represented -and still does-- the working class.

[edit] Professional Era (1943-1956)

"Los Ya Merito" Team of the 50s.

Article from El Informador, where the nickname Chivas is used for the first time.

Guadalajara was one of 10 teams that co-founded the Primera Division de Mexico in 1943. The team made its professional debut on October 21, 1943 against Atlante F.C., in which Guadalajara won by the score of 4-0^[5]. Guadalajara was a highly competitive team during its first professional years, however, the team would eventually be plagued by a series of bad results; the team spent their time in ninth place between 1945-48, followed by a reasonable third place finish in the 1948-49 season, and finally falling to eighth place in 1949-50 ^[6]. It was at the beginning of the professional era that Guadalajara would get its famous nickname. On September 30, 1948, during a match against Tampico at Parque Oro de Guadalajara, a local city newspaper column derisively said that the goats (chivas in Spanish) had won; the name, which began as an insult (and frequently used by rivals Atlas at the time), would eventually be embraced by fans. The insult was meant to say that the team did not play very well, and they just ran around like "crazy goats".

The 1950s saw Guadalajara begin to emerge as a powerhouse in the league, but it would soon again be witness to disaster. Between 1950 and 1957, Guadalajara had its hands on 6 league titles and 1 Mexican Cup title, but fell short of winning said titles. During this unlucky streak, the team was nicknamed the "Almost Theres" (Los Ya Merito in Spanish). Their most painful downfall during this streak came in the 1951-1952 season. The team was the absolute leader in the league, however, it lost its last three games (including a loss to last place Deportivo Veracruz), thus conceding first place to their closest rival in the league table, Club Leon.

[edit] The "Campeonisimo" Era (1956-1970)

The "Campeonisimo" Team in a newspaper article after winning its second league title.

In 1956, Guadalajara began its fabled "Campeonísimo" run, and thus ending years of coming within inches of glory. The team's first of eight league titles throughout the Campeonisimo run came at the hands of striker Salvador Reyes in a match against Club Irapuato in 1957. After winning their first title, the Cardinal of Guadalajara held a mass in their honor the next day and gave the team his blessing. Some considered changing the nickname from Chivas to Cardenales (Cardinals), but this was a short lived attempt. A compromise was reached and the team was blessed instead. Being that so many fans were of a religious nature, the team was seen as a holy relic and as a result, was given the nickname "El Rebaño Sagrado" (The Sacred Flock).

Besides winning every league title from 1956-57 to 1964-65 (except in 57-58), Las Chivas won a total of 23 trophies from national and international competition.^[7]. An eighth league title was won in the 1969-70 season, as only two of the original players from the Campeonisimo era remained. Many of the players throughout this era became legendary symbols for the club. These players include goalkeeper Jaime "Tubo" Gomez, Guillermo "Tigre" Sepúlveda, José "Jamaicón" Villegas, Pancho Flores, Juan "Bigotón" Jasso, Isidoro "Chololo" Díaz, Sabás Ponce, Francisco Jara, and striker Salvador Reyes, all-time top scorer for Guadalajara with 122 goals. Reyes was the last Guadalajara player to win the top scorer award (21 goals in a season), until Omar Bravo won it in the Primera Division de Mexico Clausura 2007 with 11 goals.

After its Campeonisimo run, Guadalajara was seen, in the eyes of most Mexican nationals, as the team that best exemplified the social struggle and nationalism of Mexico.^[8]. According to recent Mexican national polls, Guadalajara is still considered by many to be the most popular team in Mexican football ^[9].

[edit] The Dark Era (1971-1982)

The '70s began in top form for Guadalajara, after its league title of 1969-70. However, as the league became highly competitive (and the playoff system was imposed), a Dark Age descended upon the team and it struggled to repeat any of the success the "Campeonisimo" was used to. From 1971 to 1980, Guadalajara was only able to make the playoffs twice; a fifth place finish in 1971-72 and a seventh place finish in 1975-76^[10]. During the rest of the decade, Guadalajara would only come to finish at the very middle or near bottom of the league table. The disaster of the team during this era was widely blamed on bad management and players that weren't able to adapt into the team, and the arrival of more foreign players into the league.

[edit] The 1980s

After the dark times of the 1970s, Guadalajara gained some of the ground lost and became a prominent competitor in the '80s. A third place finish in the 1980-81 season gave fans hope for a new era, but the team was soon eliminated in the playoffs. Prior to the 1981-82 season, the team suffered a tragic road accident in wich a player, José Martínez, lost his life, that left much of the players in a state of shock ^[11]. As a result of the accident, the team finished the season with a dismal seventeenth place.

After that tragic season, the team went on to hire a new coach named Alberto Guerra, who had been a player for Guadalajara during the mid-60s. Many fans had doubts that such a young and inexperienced coach would do anything to improve the team's chances for success, but that soon changed during the 1982-83 season. Guadalajara finished seventh in the league table and qualified for the playoffs, where it would go on to eliminate Atlante FC in Quarterfinals and hated rivals Club America in Semifinals. The team reached the Finals for the first time since the playoff format was introduced in the '70s, where it would go on to lose against Puebla FC in a penalty shootout ^[12]. Guadalajara would once again reach the Finals in 1983-84, only to lose to rivals America by an aggregate score of 5-4.

Guadalajara's 17-Year streak without a championship finally came to an end in the 1986-87 season. The team finished first in the league table, qualifying for the playoffs with ease, where it would go on to defeat CF Monterrey in Quarterfinals and Puebla FC in Semis. The ninth championship came against Cruz Azul with an aggregate score of 4-2. After the 1987-88 season, where Guadalajara was eliminated in Quarterfinals and 1988-89 season, where it was eliminated in Semis, Alberto Guerra left the team, signaling the end of another era.

Prominent players for Guadalajara in the 1980s include Ricardo "Snoopy" Perez, Eduardo "Yayo" de la Torre, Fernando Quirarte, Javier "Zully" Ledesma, Demetrio Madero, and Benjamin Galindo.

[edit] "La Promotora" Era (1992-02)

By the end of the 1980s, Guadalajara began to experience financial troubles. The team was in terrible debt and needed a new direction to handle its financial woes. Team directors decided to create a special financial sector that would be known as La Promotora Deportiva. The team would be "sold" for 10 years starting in 1992 to a petroleum executive named Salvador Martinez Garza, who would be in charge of the Promotora and of team operations^[13]. Before Guadalajara began its new era under the Promotora, the team began the 1990s in average form, reaching the Semis in 90-91, reaching the Quarterfinals in 91-92, and finishing in thirteenth place in 92-93.

Because of the lack of experience in football business affairs , Salvador Martinez Garza and his directors decided to adopt an iron-fist philosophy and try to revitalize the team by purchasing the strongest players available at the time. The new directors decided to bring back Guadalajara's champion coach in 1986-87 Alberto Guerra and purchase many players that would become icons for Guadalajara in the early '90s: Missael Espinoza, Alberto "Guameru" Garcia, and Alberto Coyote. The team also decided that it would rely on young talent from its basic training schools. Such talent included Paulo Cesar "Tilon" Chavez and Joel "Tiburon" Sanchez. At the beginning of the 93-94 season, the press and fans dubbed the new and improved team Las Superchivas^[14]. The team, however, did not meet anyone's expectations and were easily eliminated early on in the playoffs. The 94-95 season would bring about more change for the team. To further impose its iron-fist philosophy, Guadalajara would go on to hire a player that would become a key to the team in the 1990s: Ramon Ramirez. Also at the start of the season, directors sold all television rights of the team to Mexican giant Televisa, a move that was heavily criticized by fans because of Televisa's ownership of Club America^[15]. Guadalajara would end the regular season as the undisputed leader in the league table, and was posed to win its 10th title, but was narrowly defeated by Club Necaxa in Semis. The 96-97 season saw the exit of coach Alberto Guerra and with it, the slow downfall of the team. A new coach, Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, would be brought in towards the middle of the season, but the team failed to make the playoffs.

By 1996, the Primera Division de Mexico season format would be changed to two short seasons per year. The first of the seasons, Invierno 1996, saw Guadalajara bring in another coach, Brazilian Ricardo Ferretti. During Ferretti's first season, the team managed to reach third place in the league table, but would be eliminated by Club Necaxa in the Quarterfinals. Guadalajara would come to capture its 10th Championship under Ferretti in the Verano 1997 season against Toros Neza with the aggregate score of 7-2. Guadalajara would once again reach the finals in the Verano 1998 season, only to once again lose to Necaxa. The rest of the decade would see the team do very poorly and the fans would ultimately lose respect for La Promotora for selling icon Ramon Ramirez to Club America^[16]. The Promotora's mishandling of the team in the eyes of the fans would finally come to an end in 2002, the tenth year of the originally proposed contract.

[edit] Jorge Vergara Era (2002-Present)

Jorge Vergara, Guadalajara's current President.

After its tenth year in charge of Guadalajara, La Promotora found itself in the same debt it had began in. Pressure by fans started to take its toll and the team was finally put up for sale. Finally, on October 31, 2002, the team was acquired by a Guadalajara native and self-made entrepreneur Jorge Vergara^[17]. Vergara was the founder of a dietary supplement company named Omnilife. Before he began his tenure as sole proprietor of the club, Vergara recognized, unlike La Promotora, that he knew nothing about the football business. He proceedd to hire directors that would be in charge of handling business affairs and he would come to promise fans that the team would be revitalized in a new direction. One of his first acts as President was to remove all sponsorship from Guadalajara's jersey, as he thought the jersey was a sacred relic for the team (the jersey has since had limited sponsorship). He would also come recognize the importance of young players for the team, an act that La Promotora was negligent about.

Under Vergara's new direction, the team was heavily revitalized in all sectors, especially financially. In order to establish a rich source of funds for the team, Vergara sought out to market the Chivas name and capitalize on it, placing the name on anything from its own magazine to toothbrushes and its own brand of cola^[18].

The first two seasons under the new era saw promising results for the team. For the Clausura 2003 season, Guadalajara hired Eduardo "Yayo" de la Torre, who had played for the team in the 1980s and qualified for the playoffs in average form, only to be eliminated by Cruz Azul in Quarterfinals. The Apertura 2003 season would see poor results in the first half of the tournament, putting an end to "Yayo" de la Torre's tenure as coach. Coaching responsibilities would be temporarily assumed by Dutchman Hans Westeroff (who was in charge of the team's basic training school) and the team would barely qualify for a wild card showdown against Club Deportivo Toluca, but was subsequently eliminated. For the Apertura 2004, Guadalajara would display an offensive style of football and mananged to place third in the league table, qualifying for the playoffs. Players such as goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, Ramon Morales, Omar Bravo, and newly acquired Adolfo Bautista, became instant fan favorites. They defeated Atlante FC in Quarterfinals and Toluca in Semis, but would lose a heartbreaking finals against Pumas UNAM in a penalty shootout. Nevertheless, the team had shown, since Vergara's arrival, that it was highly competitive (including in the Copa Libertadores 2005, where it defeated favorites Boca Juniors to reach Semis) and was destined for more positive results.

[edit] The Eleventh Star (Apertura 2006)

Guadalajara celebrates after winning its 11th Title

11th Championship Team, Apertura 2006.

Under coach José Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre, who was also a player for Guadalajara in the 1980s, the team won its 11th championship. For the Apertura 2006 season, Chivas placed eighth in the league table and qualified to the knock-out round (the "liguilla") by defeating Veracruz 2-1 in Veracruz and 4-0 in the Estadio Jalisco in a wild card series. Guadalajara moved to Quarterfinals where it defeated first place qualified Cruz Azul 2-0 in the first leg and tied 2-2 in the second leg (4-2 aggregate), moving on to the semi-finals against rivals Club América. Chivas defeated América 2-0 in Estadio Jalisco and tied 0-0 in the Estadio Azteca.

These wins allowed Chivas to move on to the final of the Primera Division against Toluca. The first match was played at Estadio Jalisco, in which Toluca and Chivas tied 1-1 with goals from Omar Bravo for Chivas and Bruno Marioni for Toluca. On December 10, 2006, Chivas played at Toluca's home stadium Estadio Nemesio Diez and won 2-1 (3-2 aggregate), thus becoming the Mexican League champions, holding 11 titles, the most titles of any other team in the league. The first goal was scored by Francisco Javier Rodríguez, and the second was by way of Adolfo Bautista. Bautista dedicated his goal and his team's victory to his mother, who died shortly before. This championship was goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez's first in his career.

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] El Clasico Tapatio

Chivas in a game against FC Atlas

El Clasico Tapatio is the rivalry between the two most supported Mexican football clubs in Guadalajara; Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Futbol Club Atlas. The rivalry dates back to the amateur era of Mexican football and is considered to be the oldest in Mexican football history ^[19]. The rivalry was known for pitting players of high society (Atlas) against players from the province or the working class (Guadalajara).

[edit] El Superclasico

Main article: El Clásico (Mexico)

El Superclasico Mexicano is the most important and heated rivalry in Mexican football contested between the two most popular teams in the league, Guadalajara and Club America. The rivalry began in August of 1943, when Guadalajara defeated America by the score of 1-0^[20]. Guadalajara, with an all-Mexican player squad, was rivaled by America, a team known for acquiring top foreign players.

[edit] Team Crest

Guadalajara's old crests.

Once the team was renamed in 1908 as Club Guadalajara, it didn't count on a proper crest. The team simply used its initials, C.G., in the center of its jersey. After a few years of the team's existence, the first proper crest was designed and still relied on the team's initials. They were placed around a circle and were given a more rich design. This same design would be used in the team's limited edition Centennial jerseys in 2006.

Guadalajara's current crest was designed in 1923 and uses as its base, the crest of the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. The crest was then complimented with a blue circle and the words Club Deportivo Guadalajara, five red stripes and six white stripes, eventual colors that were adopted by the team, and eleven stars representing each championship the team has won. The actual crest design is credited to brothers Everardo and Jose Espinosa, Angel Bolumar, and Antonio Villalvazo, all whom were associated as players or directors of the team during that time^[21].

[edit] Current Stadium

Satellite view of the Estadio Jalisco.

From the 1930s to 1960 Guadalajara used to play in a small stadium known as "Parque Oblatos". Guadalajara currently shares it's home stadium, Estadio Jalisco, with Atlas. Estadio Jalisco was constructed on January 31, 1960. It was host for 8 games in the 1970 FIFA World Cup which from 6 were from group stage matches, and two were quarter and semi-finals. The stadium was host for 9 games in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which 6 were group stage matches, 1 was round of sixteen and the last 2 were quarter and semi finals.

[edit] Estadio Chivas

Estadio Chivas

The construction of a new stadium in Zapopan, which will be named Estadio Chivas is expected to be finished by October 2008. This stadium will have the form of a volcano with a cloud on top. The stadiums seats will be colored red except for the loge and VIP zones seats which will be color white. It will also have 18 main entrance doors. The new football stadium will have a capacity for 45,500 people to maximum of 54,500. The parking lot will be capable of holding up to 8,000 cars. The new stadium will also have a restaurant with a capacity of 200 people and also has a view of the field while the game is being held. The construction of the stadium is in charge of Ingenieros Civiles y Associados who won an 81 million USD construction contract for the edification of the stadium after finishing the cimentation in January 2008. Samsung will be providing 865 LCD and plasma screens and the Hussey Seating Company will provide the stadium's seats. The stadium is expected to be finished by October 2008.^[22].

[edit] Current squad

Players in bold have international caps.

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Luis Ernesto Michel
2	DF	Arturo Ledesma
4	DF	Héctor Reynoso
5	MF	Patricio Araujo
6	MF	Omar Esparza
7	MF	Gonzalo Pineda
8	DF	José Antonio Olvera
10	FW	Alberto Medina
11	MF	Ramón Morales
13	MF	Sergio Ávila
14	DF	José Antonio Patlán
15	MF	Jesús Padilla
16	MF	Edgar Solís

No.	Position	Player
18	DF	Xavier Báez
19	DF	Jonny Magallon
20	DF	Edgar Mejia
21	FW	Sergio Santana
23	FW	Antonio Salazar
25	FW	Javier Hernández
27	FW	Omar Arellano
28	MF	Julio Nava
33	FW	Marco Fabian
42	FW	Juan Pablo Alfaro
49	FW	Isaac Romo
50	MF	Paulo César Chávez

[edit] Confirmed transfers

Out

			Alfredo Talavera (loan to U.A.N.L.)
			Diego Martínez (loan to U.A.N.L.)
			Francisco Rodríguez (transferred to PSV for US$5,500,000)
			Omar Bravo (transferred to La Coruña for free)

[edit] Honours

[edit] National

[edit] Amateur Era

Liga Occidental: 13
- 1908-1909, 1909-1910, 1911-1912, 1921-1922, 1922-1923, 1923-1924, 1924-1925, 1927-1928, 1928-1929, 1929-1930, 1932-1933, 1934-1935, 1937-1938.
Champion of Champions: 1
- 1932-1933

[edit] Professional Era

Mexican Primera División: 11
- 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70, 1986-87, Verano 1997, Apertura 2006
Mexican Cup: 2
- 1963, 1970
Champion of Champions: 7
- 1956-1957, 1958-1959, 1959-1960, 1960-1961, 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1969-1970
Challenger Cup
- 1961
Oro de Occidente Cup: 4
- 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960
Copa Pre Libertadores: 1
- 1998

[edit] International

CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1
- 1962
Central American Champion: 2
- North Central American and Caribbean 1962
- Central American 1969
Mexico International Pentagonal: 2
- 1958, 1961
Jalisco International Pentagonal: 1
- 1962

[edit] Other Tournaments

Fiestas de Octubre Hexagonal in Guadalajara 1982
Copa Internacional Hexagonal in Los Angeles 1982
Copa Informador de Futbol Hexagonal in Los Angeles 1999
Jalisco International Hexagonal 1994
Copa Pachuca : 2000
Copa Estrella del Milenio: 1999
Copa Coliseo: 1998
Copa Leon: 2003
Don Adolfo Lopez Mateos Trophy: 4
- 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963
Campeonisimo Trophy: 1962
Copa Presidencial: 1953
Copa California: 1977
Copa Militarización: 1918
Copa Reforma: 1917
Copa Presidente Gustavo Diaz Ordaz
Primavera Tournament: 1917
Copa de Oro: 1954-1956

[edit] Filial Teams

[edit] National

CD Tapatio: Reserve team that plays in the Primera División A Occidental Zone and has no right to be promoted to Primera División. Their home games are held in the Estadio Jalisco.

Guadalajara B: Reserve team that plays in the Segunda División Profesional with the right to be promoted to la Primera División A. Their home games are held in the Verde Valle football fields.

Chivas San Rafael: Reserve team that plays in the Segunda División Profesional without right to promotion. This team was before known as Club Jalisco but after it was purchased it became Chivas San Rafael. Their home games are held in the Chivas San Rafael Club facilities.

[edit] International

Chivas USA: This team was founded in 2004 as an expansion team in the Major League Soccer with it's base in Los Angeles. It's home games are hosted in the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Saprissa: Costa Rican club that was bought by Chivas owner Jorge Vergara in 2003, this team has a tradition similar to Chivas of only playing with Costa Rican players. This team is the most popular club in Costa Rica and it's home is Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose.