“Welcome to Tijuana…Tequila, Sexo y Marijuana” ~ Manu Chao

Please give a warm welcome to , new to gibfootballshow and now our Mexican League corresspondent

In May, Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, better known as the Xolos (named after a breed of hairless dog native to Mexico), won promotion to the Mexican first division. For a team that only came into existence in 2007, it is a rapid ascent, but the Xolos are not a normal club. They play in a peripheral border city in the midst of a brutal drug war, their owner has a checkered past, and they are spending on promotion and new players like there is no tomorrow. Perhaps in this way, the Xolos are reflective of their community.

The euphoria of promotion provided a much-needed dose of good news surrounding Tijuana. Obviously, Tijuana natives were thrilled to have a club that represented them in the top league in a football-crazy country, and the Xolos’ front office have indicated they want the club to become a fixture in the top flight. It is a feel-good story for a city that doesn’t get much good news. Tijuana is a battleground in the drug war that has engulfed the country, and like other border cities like Ciudad Juarez (who briefly had their team, the Indios, in the top flight a few years back), bad news often overshadows any good news.

The Xolos’ promotion was also greeted with fanfare in Southern California, where a large contingent of Mexican immigrants and Mexican football fans are thrilled to have the opportunity to cross the border and attend games in their backyard. It provides yet another reason to head to Tijuana, long a vice-filled playground for Americans. And the club’s management has bandied the idea of playing a game or two next season in nearby San Diego, California, which will facilitate American fans’ attendance and represents an opportunity to charge more for tickets for games in the United States. This will also be a safer alternative for many Americans, who are wary of crossing the border with the brutal violence committed by drug cartel members that often targets foreigners.

Plus, while the management built a strong squad during this past year in order to ensure promotion, they are upgrading the team further in order to make sure they are competitive in the top flight. They have bought veteran Mexican international Fernando Arce, Colombian striker Dayro Moreno, and re-signed Mexican American Joe Corona, who was a key member of their promotion campaign. The Xolos have also been connected with pretty much every other available Mexican player under the sun, and a variety of Latin Americans, which indicates a war chest available to further bolster the squad. All of this is cause for optimism for a team embarking on a new chapter in their history.

Despite the goodwill associated with the club, controversy surrounds the club. Most notably, the founder of the club, Jorge Hank Rhon, a former mayor of Tijuana and regular candidate for Governor of Baja California, was arrested in a raid at his home on June 4, where federal agents discovered a veritable arsenal. In a country where gun possession for civilians is illegal, this was a huge bust, but the arrest itself shed light on the breakdown of corruption in the context of the ongoing drug war in Mexico. Rhon claims he is being framed so that he cannot run for President in the future, and most observers of Mexican politics are unsurprised that a former politician may have connections with shady elements in society. This is a man who owns casinos and a sportsbook agency and a racetrack in addition to the football club. And while the charges themselves may not ultimately stick to Rhon, as he has been released from jail and several charges have already been dropped, it feeds the poor reputation of Mexico, and of Tijuana in particular.

In the immediate aftermath of Rhon’s arrest, there was concern on a footballing front that the Xolos status in the first division might be in jeopardy, as convicts are evidently not allowed to own FMF teams, but as Rhon’s son 24-year old son Jorge Alberto Hank is officially chairman of the club it is believed that Rhon’s trouble probably won’t hurt the  Xolos’ status for the upcoming season. However, for a club that is run by casino owners and the family who runs the largest sportsbook agency in Mexico, skirting the ethical and legal edge appears to be following the status quo. It seems one thing is for sure: the Tijuana Xolos story will likely feature a variety of turns and twists for the foreseeable future, and football may not even be the main story.

If you enjoyed Alicia’s work please leave a comment and make sure to