La Cantera

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Lore & Background

Chivas is the only football club in Mexico that does not sign foreign or naturalized players unless they are of Mexican descent. The team has historically relied on home-grown (cantera) players and has been the launching pad of many internationally successful players, including Javier Hernández, Carlos Vela and Carlos Salcido, among others. Domestically, CD Guadalajara is one of the most successful Mexican clubs, winning twelve Liga MX titles, four Copa MX titles, seven Campeón de Campeones and one Supercopa MX, and also holds the league record for the longest winning streak at the beginning of a season, with eight consecutive wins in the Bicentenario 2010. Internationally, it has won two CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League titles, and also finished as runners-up in the 2010 Copa Libertadores. According to a study of preferred football clubs in 2016, Guadalajara was the most popular Mexican club, 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.

In Their Own Story

The academy's impact is visible in specific eras of Chivas history. In the 'La Promotora' era (1992–2002), directors Alberto Guerra, Missael Espinoza, and young talents like Paulo Cesar 'Tilón' Chávez and Joel 'Tiburón' Sánchez were brought from the youth system to revitalize the squad. Even during lean years, such as when they finished third in 1980–81 or escaped relegation by one point in 1981–82, the club looked inward for solutions. The success of this method was proven when Javier Hernández and Carlos Vela emerged from these ranks to achieve international fame, validating the decision to rely solely on Mexican talent rather than signing established foreign stars.

Reader's Guide

The team was founded by Edgar 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 the Fábricas de Francia store, with founder Everaert as coach. A few Spanish and English players also became members of the Unión Football Club. 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 first Mexicans at Unión. 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. 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. On a tour of Europe, 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 to Guadalajara, 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. Gregorio Orozco would take credit for the decision to rename the club. At the same meeting, Rafael Orozco would be named the first club president. Between 1906 and 1943, Guadalajara won 13 amateur titles. In 1943 the Liga 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 the Copa MX, where they would play against local rivals Atlas. 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. Later that year, they would make their Liga Mayor debut on 21 October against Atlante, where they would go on to win 1–4 at Parque Asturias. Pablo 'Pablotas' González scored the first league goal in Guadalajara's history. Guadalajara struggled during the early years, with the exception of the 1948–49 season when they finished third. This same year Guadalajara

Did You Know?

• The club was founded in 1906 as Unión Football Club, not on May 8, 1906.
• The four consecutive league championships were won in the 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, and 1961–62 seasons, spanning 1959 to 1962.
• El Campeonísimo won seven league championships, two cups, three CONCACAF titles, and seven Champion of Champions titles.
• The club's first professional match was on 6 July 1943 in the Copa MX against Atlas, but the club had played matches since 1906.