Club Tijuana
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| Club Tijuana | |
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| Full name | Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente |
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| Founded | 2007 |
| Ground | Estadio Caliente Tijuana, Mexico (Capacity 33,333) |
| Chairman | Jorge Alberto Hank Insunza |
| Head Coach |  Wilson Graniolatti |
| League | Primera División A de Mexico |
| Apertura 2007 | Quarterfinalist |
Club Tijuana, is a professional football club that currently plays in the La Primera División A in Mexico. Their home ground is Estadio Caliente, located in the heart of the Hipodromo de Agua Caliente in Tijuana. [1]
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[edit] History
The newest franchise in a long line of minor league teams that have played in the city of Tijuana, Gallos Caliente was instituted in the summer of 2006, not long after the last franchise, Dorados, was relegated to the La Segunda División. Prior to that, several teams have paraded through the region - Club Tijuana, [2] Both Chivas and Nacional played their home games at what is now called Estadio Calimax - also home to Potros de Tijuana, a baseball team in the Mexican League - and were affiliates of CD Guadalajara in La Primera División. The team's name was later changed to Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles De Caliente. Team owner Jorge Hank Rhon announced the construction of the Estadio Caliente, a new stadium with a capacity for 33,333 people near Grupo Caliente's Race Track and now it's a reality. There have been many franchises brought to Tijuana, but never has such a serious project been seen in Tijuana as the one created with Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente.
Jorgealberto Hank is the eldest son of Jorge Hank Rhon. At 24 years of age, he is now the President of the team. He has announced several times that his short term goal and commitment is to ascend to the First Division. If this happens Jorgealberto Hank and Gog Alberto Murguia, the vicepresident, will be the youngest executives in the history of Mexican Professional football to be at the head of a first division team.
[edit] Ownership
The franchise was leased out by the owners of Querétaro FC to a gaming company called Grupo Caliente which operates out of Tijuana and is owned by former mayor Jorge Hank Rhon and Senator Alberto Murguia Orozco, Hank's business partner at Grupo Caliente.
Controversy surrounded the lease, due to the fact that the team would have ties to a company whose major business is that of betting on sports events, including football. The case was presented to high authorities in the Mexican Football Federation, where it was ruled that no action would be taken against Gallos Caliente or its parent company. This is because Grupo Caliente does not provide bets for the First Division A, the division the Club Tijuana is currently in. Moreover, it would not be the only football owner that would be associated with gaming. Grupo Televisa, the owner of the prestigious América is affiliated with sports gaming.[3]
[edit] Stadium
Currently Club Tijuana's home is the new Estadio Caliente, located inside the Hipodromo, (Grupo Caliente's headquarters). It is the most central location in the city, which makes it very apt for a stadium. Jorge Hank Rhon made it known that this multi- million dollar project was not created simply for a Fist Division A team. Rather, it was created to give the city of Tijuana a first division stadium, and although the club's president has talked about the stadium being a future World Cup venue, it is impossible since FIFA's minimum requirement is a capacity of 40,000.
[edit] Institutional Vision
What first seemed like a hobby to the footbol aficionado Jorge Hank, has now been projected as a business and institution with many ambitious goals by his son Jorgealberto Hank Inzunza, President of Club Tijuana. The president has announced several times in press conferences that the project is far bigger than a stadium and a First Division team.
The business plan involves football schools and clinics throughout the region, including San Diego and Los Angeles, professional football training, talent recruitment squads; 1st, 2nd, and ,3rd division affiliates; foundations and green campaigns, and a heavily invested commercial complex.
[edit] Squad
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[edit] External Links/Sources
- Spanish-language Wikipedia article
- Official Site
- [1] Information on stadia in Primera División "A"
- [2] Nacional Tijuana
- [3] Chivas Tijuana
- [4] "Gaming company authorized to operate team in Mexico"
Note: All numbered links in Spanish.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.femexfut.org.mx/portal/indexcontenido.php?Obj=44&SubOpc=10
- ^ Trotamu/4412/chivas.htm
- ^ Casa de apuestas autorizada en México
