Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V, often referred to as Chivas de Guadalajara or simply Chivas, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in Mexico. Founded in 1906, the club is based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and plays its home matches at the renowned Akron Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 46,000.
Chivas de Guadalajara has a rich history, boasting 12 Liga MX titles, 4 Copa MX titles and 2 CONCACAF Champions League titles, among other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary manager Javier 'Zully' Ledesma, who led Chivas to numerous victories and championships.
Known for its attacking style of play, the club is also notable for its policy of only using Mexican players, which has resulted in the development of many notable talents, including Ramon Morales, Omar Bravo, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, and Carlos Vela. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, Chivas de Guadalajara remains one of Mexico's most valuable football clubs, with a passionate fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Mexican and world football.
Chivas de Guadalajara is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, particularly noted for its significant following in Mexico and the United States. The club boasts one of the highest average home attendances in North America. Its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Chivas de Guadalajara Supporters Club (CGSC), in at least 24 countries. The club capitalizes on this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Chivas de Guadalajara has 40 million fans worldwide. The club has a significant social media following, with over 7 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Chivas de Guadalajara had the loudest fans in the Liga MX.
Chivas de Guadalajara was founded in 1906 by Belgian-born Edgar Everaert, who named the club as Club Deportivo Guadalajara. The team initially played games against local and regional opponents. Donning the colours red, white and blue, they played their first recorded match on 8 August 1906, against Atlético Latino, winning 2-0.
In the late 1950s, the club entered what is considered its 'Golden Era', under the stewardship of coach Javier de la Torre. De la Torre led the team to a series of successes including a record-breaking five consecutive championships, a feat that still stands in Mexican football. During this period, the club also won the Campeón de Campeones cup and the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
At the turn of the millennium, Jorge Vergara took over as owner of the club, bringing significant changes. Despite initial success, including a league title in 2006, the club has struggled for consistent success. In 2014, Carlos Bustos was appointed as manager, but the club continued to struggle, culminating in a season where they narrowly avoided relegation. Despite these challenges, the club has remained a major force in Mexican football, with a dedicated fan base and a commitment to developing home-grown talent.
Originally funded by Belgian businessman, Edgar Everaert, the club was founded in 1906 and quickly gained support from the local community. In 1943, the club was purchased by local entrepreneur Jorge Vergara who invested heavily to save the club from financial instability, including future club president Amaury Vergara. After his death in 2019, the club faced financial challenges yet again but was saved in December of the same year by Amaury Vergara, who assumed control of the club after a significant investment. Vergara promoted his close associate, Marcelo Michel Leaño, to the board in 2020, but he stepped down a year later; the Vergara family retained ownership of the club through Jorge's son, Amaury, but the position of chairman passed to former player Francisco Palencia.
Promoted to the board a few days after the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League win, Francisco Palencia, a friend of Matias Almeyda, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately £40,000, he accumulated a 54 per cent shareholding and took control in January 2019. When Amaury Vergara assumed control in 2019, he sold a percentage of his shares to Francisco Palencia's son, Francisco Palencia Jr, in 2020; Francisco Palencia Jr went on to become chairman upon his father's retirement in 2021. Media tycoon Carlos Slim attempted to buy the club in 2022, but did not meet Vergara's asking price. In 2023, chairman Francisco Palencia Jr attempted to sell the club to Emilio Azcarraga Jean for £20 million, but the sale fell through and Jean joined the board of directors instead.
Chivas de Guadalajara is one of the most successful clubs in Mexico in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Campeon de Campeones, which they won in 1957. In 1956–57, the club won their first league title and won the Copa MX for the first time in the 1962–63 season. Since then, they have gone on to win a record 12 Liga MX titles and their total of 4 Copa MX is a remarkable achievement. Those titles have meant the club has appeared multiple times in the Campeon de Campeones; of those appearances, Chivas de Guadalajara have won 7 times.
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Chivas de Guadalajara - History and Honors: Detailed history, honors, and statistics of one of Mexico's most successful football clubs, Chivas de Guadalajara https://www.chivasdecorazon.com.mx/
Chivas de Guadalajara - Club Ownership: Information on the ownership of Club Deportivo Guadalajara, including details on significant figures such as Jorge Vergara, Amaury Vergara, and Francisco Palencia https://www.espn.com/soccer/team/_/id/219/guadalajara
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