Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A de C.V. (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈkluβðepoɾˈtiβoɣwaðalaˈxaɾa];[a]), nicknamed"Chivas" (English:Goats) and simply known asGuadalajara or internationally asChivas de Guadalajara, is a Mexican professionalfootball club based in theGuadalajara metropolitan area inJalisco. It competes inLiga MX, the top division ofMexican football. The club was founded in 1906 asUnión Football Club, then changed its name toGuadalajara Football Club in 1908, and then changed to its current name in 1923.Guadalajara was one of thefounding members of the Liga Mayor in 1943 (currently Liga MX), which was the first professional football league created in Mexico, and is one of seven teams that havenever been relegated.[3]
Guadalajara have played their home matches atEstadio Akron inZapopan since 2010, having previously played atEstadio Jalisco. Guadalajara is the only football club in Mexico that does not sign foreign players unless they are of Mexican descent.[4][5][6][7] The team has historically relied on home-grown (cantera) players and has been the launching pad of many internationally successful players, includingJavier Hernández,Carlos Vela andCarlos Salcido, among others.[8]
According to a 2016 study of preferred football clubs[11] Guadalajara is the most popular team in Mexico, with 44.2% of supporters in the country. In 2020,Forbes estimated that the club was the most valuable of the league, ranking sixth overall in the Americas, worth approximately$311.5 million.[12]
The team was founded byEdgar Everaert, who arrived in Mexico in 1906. First named "Unión" because of the camaraderie between the players of different nationalities, most of whom were employees of theFábricas de Francia store, with founder Everaert as coach. A fewSpanish andEnglish players also became members of the Unión Football Club.[13][14] The club's first match was against Gimnasio Atlético Occidental. That match, Unión was coached by member Rafael Orozco, who alongside his brother, Gregorio, were the firstMexicans at Unión.[15] The Orozco family were one of the club's earliest benefactors, with Orozco's grandmother, Nicolasa Sáinz, allowing her home to be used as Unión's first clubhouse.[16] His uncle, Sabino Orozco, who reportedly came up with the name Unión, would also donate land to the club that would become its first ground.[17]
On a tour ofEurope, Everaert noticed that European teams named after their respective town or city seemed to generate more support from fans in their communities. Once he returned toGuadalajara,Jalisco, he told his observations to Rafael and Gregorio Orozco. So, in 1908, in a club meeting at Sáinz's house attended by the Orozco brothers, Sabino Orozco, and the remaining Mexican Unión members, Club de Fútbol Unión was renamed as Club Deportivo Guadalajara to engender a sense of loyalty within the city's population. Notably, this decision was made without Everaert or any European members present.[18] Gregorio Orozco would take credit for the decision to rename the club.[16] At the same meeting, Rafael Orozco would named the first club president.[19] Following the aftermath of theMexican Revolution, amateur football tournaments throughout the country flourished and Guadalajara was always involved. Between 1906 and 1943 (the amateur era of Mexican football and thePrimera Fuerza), Guadalajara won 13 amateur titles, the first in 1908.[20] Also during this period, the oldest rivalry in Mexican football began to form, between Guadalajara andAmérica.In 1943, it was decided that the team would only field Mexican-born players because of the growing sense of oppression Mexican nationals felt towards non-Mexican nationals.[citation needed]
In 1943 theLiga Mayor was founded after the merging of several regional leagues and the era of professional football began. Guadalajara would make their professional debut on 6 July 1943 in theCopa MX, where they would play against local rivalsAtlas. They would go on to lose the match 3-1, with Manuel "Cosas" López's 30-minute goal becoming the first of Guadalajara's professional era.[21] Later that year, they would make theirLiga Mayor debut on 21 October against Atlante, where they would go on to win 1-4 atParque Asturias.[22] Pablo "Pablotas" González scored the first league goal in Guadalajara's history.[23]
Guadalajara struggled during the early years, with the exception of the 1948–49 season when they finished third. This same year Guadalajara was given the name "Chivas Locas" (Crazy Goats) during a game againstAtlas.[24] The name was initially considered an insult, but later adopted as the team's nickname due to the overwhelming popularity of the club. During the 1951–52 and 1954–55 seasons, the team finished as runner-up in the league, leading to the nickname "¡Ya Merito!" ("Almost There!").[25]
A prolifichomegrown forward,Salvador Reyes led Guadalajara to success during "El Campeonísimo".
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Guadalajara struggled a lot. In the1970–71 season, the team finished very close to the relegation zone. The best they could manage to reach was the play-offs twice, with a fifth-place finish in1971–72 and a sixth-place finish in1976–77. They began to be nicknamed "Las Chivas Flacas" (The Lean Goats), due to their lean athletic performances. During the1980–81 season, on February 14, 1981, the bus transporting the team to a match in the city ofPuebla was hit by a trailer, taking the life of midfielderJose "Pepe" Martínez.[27] During 1980–81 season, the team reached a third-place ranking.[28] Eleven years after their near-relegation in 1971, Guadalajara managed to escape it yet again in the1981–82 season by just one point.[29]
Improvement came soon after the hiring of coachAlberto Guerra, who had been a player for Guadalajara during the mid '60s. During the1982–83 season, Guadalajara finished seventh in the league and qualified for the playoffs, going on to eliminateAtlante in quarter-finals andAmérica in Semifinals. The team reached the finals for the first time since the playoff format was introduced in the '70s, where they would go on to lose toPuebla in a penalty shootout.[30] Guadalajara would once again reach the Finals in 1983–84, only to lose to América by an aggregate score of 5–4.[31] The club would continue being competitive the rest of the '80s and early '90s., with their very best performance in the1986–87 season, where they would finish 1st in the regular season and win the Championship againstCruz Azul in the final.[32] Their best players during this time wereBenjamín Galindo,Eduardo de la Torre,José Manuel de la Torre,Fernando Quirarte, andJavier Aguirre among others.[citation needed]
By the end of the 1980s, Guadalajara began to experience several financial troubles. 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 Martínez Garza, who would be in charge of thePromotora and of team operations.[33] Before Guadalajara began its new era under thePromotora, the team began the 1990s in average form, reaching the Semifinals in 90–91, reaching the Quarterfinals in 91–92, and finishing in thirteenth place in 92–93.
The new directors decided to bring back Guadalajara's champion coach of the 1986–87 season Alberto Guerra and purchase many players that would become icons for Guadalajara in the early '90s:Missael Espinoza,Alberto "Guamerú" García, andAlberto Coyote. The team also relied on young talent from the youth academy. Such talent includedPaulo Cesar "Tilón" Chávez andJoel "Tiburón" Sánchez. At the beginning of the 93–94 season, the press and fans dubbed the new and improved teamLas Superchivas.[34] However, despite expectations, the team was eliminated early on in the playoffs. The 94–95 season would bring about more change for the team. The club directors sold all television rights of the team to Mexican giantTelevisa, a move that was heavily criticized by fans because of Televisa's ownership ofAmérica. Guadalajara would end the 1993–1994 regular season as the leader in the league table, but was narrowly defeated byNecaxa in the Semifinals. The 96–97 season saw the exit of coach Alberto Guerra, being replaced by the DutchmanLeo Beenhakker. The team failed to make the playoffs that season.
By 1996, thePrimera División de México season format would be changed to two short seasons per year. The first of the seasons,Invierno 1996, saw Guadalajara bring in another coach,BrazilianRicardo 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 won its 10th championship under Ferretti in theVerano 1997 season againstToros Neza with the aggregate score of 7–2.[35] Guadalajara would once again reach the Finals in theInvierno 1998 season, only to once again lose to Necaxa.[36]
After its tenth year in charge of Guadalajara,La Promotora was still in debt and finally put up for sale. On October 31, 2002, the team was acquired by a Guadalajara native and self-made entrepreneur,Jorge Vergara.[37] Vergara was the founder of a multi level marketing namedGrupo Omnilife. Vergara hired directors that would be in charge of handling business affairs. He also removed all sponsorship from Guadalajara's jersey; the jersey has since had limited sponsorship.[citation needed]
In order to establish funding for the team, Vergara sought to market theLas Chivas name and capitalize on it, placing the name on anything from its own magazine to toothbrushes and its own brand ofcola.[38]
For theClausura 2003 season, Guadalajara hiredEduardo de la Torre, who had played for the team in the 1980s. TheApertura 2003 season would see poor results in the first half of the tournament, putting an end to de la Torre's tenure as coach. Coaching responsibilities would be temporarily assumed by DutchmanHans Westerhof and the team would qualify for a wild card showdown againstClub Deportivo Toluca, only to be subsequently eliminated.
In February 2004, it was announced that the club would construct a new stadium (Estadio Akron).[39]
In theApertura 2004, Guadalajara would display an offensive style of football and managed to place third in the league standings, qualifying for the playoffs. Players such as goalkeeperOswaldo Sánchez,Ramon Morales,Omar Bravo, and newly acquiredAdolfo Bautista, became instant fan favorites. They defeatedAtlante in the quarterfinals and Toluca in the semifinals, but would lose in the Finals againstPumas UNAM in a penalty shootout.[40] Nevertheless, the team had shown, since Vergara's arrival, that it was highly competitive, including in the2005 Copa Libertadores, where it defeated favoritesBoca Juniors 4–0 aggregate to reach the semifinals. In the semifinals, they lost toAthletico Paranaense 5–2.[41] Under coachJosé Manuel de la Torre, who was a player for Guadalajara in the 1980s, the team won its 11th championship.[42] In theApertura 2006 season, Las Chivas placed eighth in the league table and qualified for the playoffs by defeatingVeracruz 2–1 in the city ofVeracruz and 4–0 in theEstadio Jalisco in a wild card series. Guadalajara advanced to the quarterfinals where they defeatedCruz Azul 2–0 in the first leg and tied 2–2 in the second leg (4–2 aggregate), moving on to thesemi-finals against rivalsAmérica.[citation needed]
The club advanced to the final of the Primera División againstToluca. The first match was played at Estadio Jalisco, in which Toluca and Las Chivas tied 1–1 with goals from Omar Bravo for Las Chivas andBruno Marioni for Toluca. On 10 December 2006, Las Chivas played at Toluca's home stadiumEstadio Nemesio Díez and won 2–1 (3–2 aggregate), thus becoming the Mexican League champions by holding 11 titles, the most titles of any team in the league at the time.[42] The first goal was scored byFrancisco Javier Rodríguez, and the second was by Adolfo Bautista.[citation needed]
Apertura 2006 season Championship starting line-up
Bautista dedicated his goal and his team's victory to his mother, who had died shortly before. This championship was goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez's first in his career. After the Apertura 2006 championship the team had gone through a series of changes with the departures of Oswaldo Sánchez, Adolfo Bautista, and Omar Bravo who left to play inSpain. José Manuel de la Torre was fired in the Apertura 2007 tournament and replaced byEfraín Flores. After Flores's stint at the clubOmar Arellano Nuño was appointed, but he only coached one league game and two Copa Libertadores matches. Arellano was replaced by Francisco Ramírez who had an unsuccessful period as coach by having the lowest percentage of effectiveness of all the coaches hired in the last seven years. Ramírez was fired and replaced by Raúl Arias, who also had a terrible run at the club. On November 4, 2009, Raúl Arias was fired and replaced byJosé Luis Real. Real lead the team to an explosive start of the2010 Bicentenario tournament, winning the first 8 games in a row. Nevertheless, their winning streak was broken against the low table team,Chiapas F.C., losing by a score of 4–0.[43] Under José Luis Real,Chivas saw many young and promising players blossoming even more rapidly than expected,[44] includingJavier Hernández, who was signed by English clubManchester United on 8 April;[45] Hernandez additionally finished the tournament as joint-top scorer with 10 goals and named best forward.[46]Chivas qualified to thechampionship stage after a second place general table finish but lost toMonarcas Morelia in the first round with an aggregate score of 5–2.
On July 30,Chivas played their inaugural match in the newly constructed Estadio Akron against Manchester United, as part of a deal where Javier Hernández was headed to the English club.[47] Hernández played for Guadalajara in the first half, scoring within the first 8 minutes and switched sides in the second, unable to prevent a 3–2 defeat for Manchester United.[48]
Starting with the release of José Luis Real as coach in October 2011, Chivas struggled to maintain form finding themselves with 9 coaches being hired and released in the past 3 years. The club was in danger of being relegated to the second division for the first time in their history. In February 2012,Johan Cruyff was hired as the team's advisor.[50] Nine months later the club sacked him, mainly due to the fact that the team was not improving.[51] On November 22, 2013, Guadalajara placed multiple important players on the transfer list:Marco Fabián,Miguel Ponce, and veteransLuis Michel andHéctor Reynoso.[52] On November 25, 2013, it was confirmed thatJosé Luis Real would return to C.D. Guadalajara as head coach.[53] Real showed improvement in the squad but was soon released after the team lost 4–0 at home to rivalsAmérica.[54] On April 2, 2014, veteran managerRicardo La Volpe was appointed as head coach.[55] He was immediately released on April 30, 2014 supposedly due to having inappropriate conduct with a female staff member who later took legal action against him.[56] On May 12, 2014,Carlos Bustos was appointed as head coach.[57] On October 2, 2014, Bustos resigned after a 3–1 loss toToluca.[58] He left the team with two wins, four draws, and four losses.[59] On October 7, 2014, former Mexico national team managerJosé Manuel de la Torre was appointed as head coach.[60] The club started the 2015 season with a 2–1 loss againstChiapas F.C., and this result caused them to become tied in the last position of the Liga MX relegation table withPuebla.[61] The very next week the club showed better character after a 2–1 win at home againstPumas UNAM in front of a very supportive, and completely sold-out crowd of fans.[62] By game 12 of the2015 Clausura season, Guadalajara managed to earn 21 points after winning crucial matches against teams such asMonterrey and relegation rivals Puebla. José Manuel de la Torre's strategic 4–2–3–1 formation proved effect during matches despite the fans' constant requests to use two strikers in the starting line-up. In game 13 of the season, Guadalajara defeatedLeón in theEstadio Akron's 100th official match and went up to 1st place with 24 points.[63] José Manuel de la Torre's effectiveness rose to 62.1%, the highest rate in the Clausura 2015 season.[64] The club finished the 2015 Clausura in fifth place with the third best defense of the season, thus, qualifying to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.[65] The team started the 2015 Apertura season with 4 points in 6 games and a squad plagued with injuries. On September 14, 2015, the club announced they had released De la Torre.[66]
On September 18, 2015, the club officially presentedMatías Almeyda as new manager,[67][68] proclaiming he wanted to "awaken the giant."[69] Almeyda immediately made his style of attacking football known by consecutively winning his first four matches, including the match against rivalsAmérica on September 26, 2015 by a score of 2–1 at theEstadio Azteca.[70] On November 4, Guadalajara won its thirdCopa MX after defeatingLeón by a score of 1–0 via a 75th-minute header scored by defenderOswaldo Alanís.[71] On May 5, the club qualified for the Clausura 2016 Liguilla, earning 28 points and finishing in 5th place. After seasons of struggles and disappointing results, the club earned ninth place in the official relegation table for the 2016–2017 season due to their good performances throughout the 2015–2016 season, thus, starting their end of relegation troubles and surpassing clubs such asCruz Azul andClub Tijuana.[72]
On May 21, 2016, club owner Jorge Vergara announced in an official press conference that the club was not renewing contract with Mexican television giantsTelevisa, thus, ending a 22-year run with the broadcasting company. Vergara then announced the establishment ofChivas TV, the club's own channel for live games, interviews, and more. Chivas TV would have a rough start with many complaints from customers about a difficulty watching the live games, but the service would get better as the season progressed and allies such asCinepolis Klic,Claro Video, andTDN joined the project and also broadcast the live games.
On July 10, 2016,Chivas played their first everSupercopa MX and won the title by defeatingVeracruz 2–0, with goals fromOrbelin Pineda andOmar Bravo, and qualifying to theCopa Libertadores for the first time since 2012,[73] however, they would ultimately not participate due to the Copa Libertadores had a new format which Mexican teams could not adapt to, thus withdrawing from the competition.[74]
On April 19, 2017,Chivas won theirfourth Copa MX title, defeatingMonarcas Morelia in a penalty shoot-out by a score of 3–1 after a goalless draw, with Guadalajara goalkeeperMiguel Jiménez stopping three consecutive penalties during the series.[75] The following month, they played Atlas, Toluca and in theClausura championship final was played againstTigres UANL, with Guadalajara winning their twelfth league title following an aggregate victory of 4–3 after two legs. With the capture of the Liga MX title,Chivas became the first team in Mexican history to win aDouble in a single season on two different occasions and their first since the1969–70 season.[76]
On April 25, 2018, Guadalajara won theCONCACAF Champions League final againstMajor League Soccer sideToronto FC, defeating them 4–2 via penalty shoot-out, with all four players scoring, after a 3–3 aggregate draw. As a result of winning the title, Guadalajara qualified for the2018 FIFA Club World Cup.[77] On June 11, 2018, however, he left, citing differences with an executive.[78] The following day,José Cardozo was appointed manager.[79]
In December, at theFIFA Club World Cup, they concluded their first participation in the tournament with a sixth-place finish after losing in a penalty shoot-out against Tunisian clubEsperance Sportive de Tunis.[80][81] In March 2019, Cardozo was let go following a losing streak of 4 matches[82] and on April 10,Tomás Boy was named as his successor.[83]
On November 15, 2019,Grupo Omnilife and club owner Jorge Vergara died at the age of 64 of cardiac arrest. His son,Amaury Vergara, inherited the presidency of the club.
Tena was let go on August 9 after going the first three matches of theGuardianes 2020 tournament scoreless, losing twice.[86] Four days later,Víctor Manuel Vucetich was appointed as the new manager.[87] Following a seventh place general table finish, they made it to theGuardianes 2020 semi-finals, losing 2–1 to eventual league winnersLeón.[88] In the Guardianes 2021, Chivas would end up getting knocked out in the reclassification round 4–2 toPachuca.
In the Torneo Apertura 2021, Chivas had their lowest finish in the league since the reclassification phase was re-added, placing 10th in the general standings. This led to the sacking of Victor Manuel Vucetich and the appointment of caretaker managerMarcelo Michel Leaño. The club would end up getting knocked out toPuebla 6–5 on penalties in the reclassification phase.
Leaño was appointed as the permanent manager for theClausura 2022 tournament. After only getting 11 points from a possible 39, Leaño was sacked. With 4 games left to go in the tournament, Ricardo Pelaez announced the arrival ofRicardo Cadena to be caretaker manager for the rest of the tournament. Cadena would go on to end the regular season with a 4-game winning streak putting Chivas in 6th place. Chivas would end up beating rivalsPumas UNAM 4–1 in thereclassification phase but then fall in the quarter finals to local rivals and eventual champions Atlas 2–1 (3–2 on aggregate)
For theApertura 2022, Cadena was appointed as permanent manager. Guadalajara would struggle, as they only got their first win in the 10th matchday. It would be later revealed that Sporting Director Ricardo Peláez had consistently been trying to leave the club but president Amaury Vergara declined his resignation. Chivas would end up getting knocked by Puebla on penalties 5–4, yet again in thereclassification phase.
Fernando Hierro led Guadalajara's sporting project from October 2022 to June 2024.
On October 21, 2022,Fernando Hierro was announced as the sporting director for the team. 10 days later, he announced the appointment of former Chicago Fire coachVeljko Paunović. This announcement was heavily criticized as he had little to no knowledge of Mexican football and had left his previous team (Reading) fighting in arelegation battle.
Despite this, he led Chivas to a top 3 finish in the Clausura 2023, qualifying them for the Liguilla directly for the first time since the Clausura 2017. In the quarter-finals, they would face and tie with city rivalsAtlas 1–1 on aggregate, with Chivas advancing due to having the better position on the regular season table. Chivas would be matched against historical rivalsAmérica in the semi-finals, where despite losing 1–0 at home, Chivas would win 3–1 at theEstadio Azteca to advance to their first league final since theClausura 2017. On May 28, 2023, despite leading 2–0 after the first half, Chivas lost the final of theClausura 2023 2–3 afterExtra Time toTigres UANL, the same team they had beat in the Clausura 2017 final.
After a disappointing quarter-final exit in the Apertura 2023, Veljko Paunović officially left the club on December 15, 2023.Fernando Gago would soon be announced as his replacement 5 days later. Gago would lead Chivas to the qualification zone in theClausura 2024 as the 6th seed with 31 points and bring them back to the semifinals where they would soon be eliminated by rivals Club América.
On May 29, 2024, Fernando Hierro announced his departure as the sporting director of the team, after accepting an offer to become director of football atAl-Nassr.
On October 10, 2024, Chivas announced the departure of Fernando Gago, after his termination clause was activated, allowing him to joinBoca Juniors.[89] This was after weeks of speculation, especially during and after their derby loss to Atlas 2–3 on October 5, 2024.[90]
On December 2, 2024,Óscar García Junyent was appointed as the head coach for theClausura 2025 season. In the pre-season, the squad was reinforced by the likes of Mexican internationalLuis Romo, as well as the return ofAlan Pulido. During the beginning of Clausura 2025, Chivas struggled to win games, only winning 11 points from their first 9 games, including a 3–1 loss to 17th placedSan Luis on February 26.[91] On January 30, García Junyent received a 3-match ban after kickingJames Rodríguez in a match againstLeón.[92] On February 28, Chivas announced the departure of the remaining Spanish sporting directors from Fernando Hierro's tenure.[93] They were succeeded by Javier Mier. The following day, the new sporting directive announced the imminent departure of García Junyent.[94] They appointed Gerardo Espinoza on March 3 for the remainder of the season.[95]After a promising start against Club América winning 1-0 in the first leg of theConcacaf Champions Cup and drawing 0-0 in the Liga MX, they went on to lose 4-1 on aggregate in the second leg.[96]They then would go on to have even poorer results which led to Guadalajara failing to qualify for the playoffs and finishing in 11th place. This led to the departure ofGerardo Espinoza[97]
After weeks of rumors regarding whom would be Guadalajara’s next manager, Chivas seemingly agreed personal terms withDomenec Torrent.[98] Just days before the contract was officially signed and announced, the deal fell through further fueling speculation regarding the next manager.[99]
The club sports three colors (red, white, and blue) on their kit. Originally sporting an entirely white kit, in 1908, their kit was redesigned and modeled on that of the founder's favorite team, the BelgianClub Brugge K.V., borrowing the vertical stripes and color scheme of the Brugge strip in that era. (Club Brugge has since changed their colors).[102] Some historians assert that the colors came from the French Tricolor because some of the club's first players were French, and as an homage to the factory where most of the players worked,Fábricas de Francia. Although the club philosophy soon changed to a Mexican-centric one, including renaming the club and adopting a Mexican-nationals only policy, the club retained theBruges colors and pattern, in honor of the European founders' legacy at Chivas.[103]
Once the team was renamed in 1908 asClub Guadalajara, they used initials,C.G., in the centre of the jersey. After a few years of the team's existence, the first proper crest was designed, still using the team's initials. They were eventually placed around a circle.
Club Guadalajara second crest. (1911)
After two years of using the original crest, in 1910, a second crest was created using the sameC.G. club initials. The "C" was replaced with a silhouette of a snake, wrapped around a"G" shaped horseshoe. Similarly to the original crest, the initials were placed around a red circle. This design would be used in the team's limited edition Centennial jerseys in 2006.
Starting in 1917, the club used a crest which is more similar to its modern contemporary. The crest was composed of a vertical rectangle with a blue border, which inside included the five red and six white stripes of the club jersey. The center of the crest included a blue border of a diamond, alongside a "G" of the same color.[104]
Guadalajara's modern crest was designed in 1923 and uses as its base, thecoat of arms of the city ofGuadalajara,Jalisco. The crest was then complemented with a blue circle and the wordsGuadalajara, alongside the red stripes and white stripes from the 1917 crest. However, unlike the 1917 crest, there were only four red and five white stripes. In 1984, the crest would be changed to include the wordsClub Deportivo alongsideGuadalajara, and one red and one white stripe were added to the crest, mirroring the 1917 crest.[105] Over the years, stars representing each championship the team have won would be added to the crest, totaling twelve. The modern crest design is credited to brothersEverardo and Jose Espinosa,Angel Bolumar, andAntonio Villalvazo, all of whom were players or directors of the team during that time.[106]
Chivas, Guadalajara's widely used nickname, claim to fame originates from aLiga Mayor match-up against Tampico on 30 September 1948, as Guadalajara would win 1-0 at Parque Oblatos. Despite the win, the team's performances were criticized on Mexican newspaperEl Informador, where journalist Martín del Campo described the team to have played like"Chivas Locas" (Crazy Goats), without tempo or structure, but rather with energy and speed.[107]
The origin of the nicknameRebaño Sagrado can be traced to their first championship title in the 1956-57 Season. While at the parade inZona Central, the team would go to visitArchbishop Garibi at theGuadalajara Cathedral. A fan of the club, the archbishop reportedly lifted his cassock to reveal that he had been wearing a Chivas jersey underneath it.[108] The archbishop would later telegramPope Pius XXI, informing him that a squad composed exclusively of Mexican players had won the league. The pope, in a telegram dated 16 January 1957, replied to the archbishop, blessing the players of the football club:[109]
"Most Excellent Archbishop: Augusto pontificates, graciously welcoming the filial feelings of the members of Club Fútbol Guadalajara. Respond to them when possible by sending them the implorable apostolic blessing."
JVC is a brand of property of the team's president, Jorge Vergara (JVC are the initials of his father's name, Jorge Vergara Cabrera), although these are manufactured by Grendene de México, S.A. de C.V.
From the 1930s to 1960, Guadalajara played in a small, stadium known as"Parque Oblatos".[111] Originally built forOro, the inaugural match was a friendly match between Oro and Chivas.[112] Soon after the friendly match, Chivas would move into the stadium, as wouldAtlas. In the1950-51 season, Atlas won thePrimera División title by one point, often accredited to their 1–0 win over Chivas at Parque Oblatos in the final match day.[113] In the1954-55 season, Chivas would draw 3–3 againstZacatepec at Parque Oblatos in the fourth match day. Chivas would finish runner-up that season, losing the title to Zacatepec by two points.[114] In the1956-57 season, Chivas would win their ever first title after defeatingIrapuato 1–0 at Parque Oblatos, with a stoppage time winner fromSalvador Reyes.[115] In both the1958-59 and1959-60 seasons, Chivas would win consecutive division titles in the final match day at Parque Oblatos.[116] As a result, the stadium held significant importance to both Chivas and Jaliscan football heritage. However, by the 1950s, the stadium's official seating capacity of 10,000 failed to meet demand for match day tickets, with derby matches often having total actual attendances of over 15,000.[112] By 1954, this had motivated Chivas, Atlas, and Oro to formClubes Unidos de Jalisco, with the goal of building and maintaining a new state-of-the-art stadium that would more adequately meet the demand forTapatío football.[117]
Guadalajara next shared theEstadio Jalisco with their biggest town rivalsAtlas.[118] Estadio Jalisco was inaugurated on January 31, 1960. It was host for eight games in the1970 FIFA World Cup, six group-stage matches, and one each in the quarterfinals andsemifinals. The stadium was host for nine games in the1986 FIFA World Cup, six group-stage matches, one round-of-16 match, one quarterfinal, and one semifinal.[119] Chivas played in the Estadio Jalisco from 1960 to 2010. Due to the aging structure of the stadium and the desire of Chivas to have their own stadium to call home, ownerJorge Vergara decided to construct a stadium (Estadio Jalisco was always shared with various teams from the city such as Atlas,Club Universidad de Guadalajara, andClub Oro, among others). Chivas administration used an investment of 130 million dollars to build a new home.
In 2010, Chivas's new home field was completed.Estadio Omnilife (then named after the nutrition company owned by Vergara) was designed to look like a volcano with a cloud on top. The idea of the design is to integrate the stadium with nature because of its proximity toLa Primavera Biosphere Reserve. It is also used for conventions and as a Business JVC Center. Construction of the stadium began in May 2007 and concluded in July 2010. The stadium seats are red, except for the loge seats that are white. It has a large main entrance and 18 exits. Totalseating capacity is 49,850, which includes 330 suites with capacities of nine to 13 guests. An underground parking lot is available for suite renters, which holds up to 850 cars, and parking outside the stadium has capacity for 8,000 cars. The new stadium also has a store, a museum, and various food and beverage concessions. The stadium's opening date was July 30, 2010.[120] The inaugural match was a friendly between Chivas andManchester United that Chivas won 3–2, with the first goal scored byJavier "Chicharito" Hernández,[121] who had just been transferred from the former to the latter. In March 2016, the stadium was renamedEstadio Chivas. On November 10, 2017, it was announced that Mexican automotive oil firm Grupo Akron would buy the naming rights of Estadio Chivas.[122] On December 15, 2017, the stadium was officially renamedEstadio Akron.
Chivas has developed two importantrivalries over the years. Perhaps its most intense rivalry is with Mexico City-basedClub América. Their meetings, which have become known asEl Súper Clásico, are played at least twice a year and signal a national derby. Both are the most successful and most popular teams in Mexico. The first confrontation between them ended with a victory for Guadalajara with a score of 3–0.The rivalry began to flourish after the second match when Club América defeated Guadalajara with a score of 7–2. Although the huge defeat sparked embarrassment within Chivas, it was almost two decades before the rivalry becameThe Clásico. One of the very reasons why these two teams are archrivals is because in 1983 and 1986 they brawled with each other, raising excitement among the fans. Thus, every time they play it is considered a match that everyone will remember. To this day,El Clásico de Clásicos continues to raise huge excitement in the whole country as well as in other parts of the world where there are fans of either team. The intensity of the game is lived so passionately that every time these two teams play a game, regardless of what position they are in on the charts or what level they show throughout the league, it is always considered the most important game of the season. El Súper Clásico was ranked 12th onFourFourTwo's 50 biggest derbies list.[123]
TheClásico Tapatío, as it is known, is the oldest derby in Mexican football since its inception in 1916, being a game that is lived with great passion on the part of supporters of both Chivas andClub Atlas. In the early stages of the rivalry Guadalajara supporters started to dub players of Atlas by calling them "Margaritas". In reaction to the name, a group of Atlas supporters reacted by claiming that their rivals ran like "Chivas Locas" (Crazy Goats) and to the Chivas players it was considered an insult. Over time the meaning of "Chivas" changed due to the popularity of the club and it became a term of endearment upon the Chivas fans. They used to shareEstadio Jalisco, which caused controversies with the fans until, in 2010 Chivas moved to theEstadio Akron.
The fans of what some surveys say is the most popular football team in the country remain loyal to a club that has only won four championship titles (in a period of more than 50 years) since its heyday in 1970.[124]
In addition to the general enthusiasm that still lingers over the era of theCampeonísimo – the most successful club team in the history of Mexican professional football – the affection also stems from the fact that Chivas is the only first division club in Mexico to only sign local players. Chivas also rarely bought Mexican players from other major clubs and did not import its players equally from all parts of Mexico. The focus of its personnel policy is mainly in its own region in western Mexico, and mainly in the state of Jalisco, and traditionally even most in the utilization of its own young talent.[125]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
1 Guadalajara were forced to withdraw as they were on a tour in Europe during the finals' schedule. 2 Jacksonville withdrew, Guadalajara advances. 3 Both clubs were disqualified after failing to agree on match dates. 4 Third place was shared. 5 After refusing to play their match against the MetroStars in New York, Guadalajara was expelled from the competition by CONMEBOL. They lost their 4 remaining matches with a score of 0–2. 6 As São Paulo refused to travel following concerns over the H1N1 flu outbreak in Mexico, Guadalajara withdrew from the tournament. CONMEBOL later secured Guadalajara a place in the round of 16 of the 2010 edition instead.