Vergara: Money not Chivas USA's Objective / Jordaan: 2010 FIFA World Cup to Help Create a New South African Society

LOS ANGELES (October 25, 2004) – Chivas President Jorge Vergara, who is an Investor-Operator of new Major League Soccer franchise C.D. Chivas USA, announced today at the Honda Symposium that money is not the objective of his new franchise, and affirmed his commitment to the league over the long term.

"Money is a consequence, not the objective of this club, nor with Chivas, and nor with Omnilife. Our goal is to achieve results on the field and to develop a strong relationship with the community, said Mr. Vergara during a presentation titled "C.D. Chivas USA: Goals for 2005 and Beyond."

"We know that we may lose money for the first few years, but it is a very clear project for us and we are here for the long term."

In regards to the composition of the new C.D. Chivas USA franchise, which will be based in Los Angeles and is one of the two teams that will enter Major League Soccer in 2005, Mr. Vergara stated that "We are looking for Latin Americans, legal residents of Mexican descent and Americans who speak at least a little Spanish. We plan on building a team of Spanish-speaking players and through them, generate a rivalry with the other "gringo" teams in Major League Soccer."

Mr. Vergara is the founder of Mexico’s Grupo Omnilife, which two years ago entered the world of international soccer by acquiring one of Mexico’s most popular teams, Club Deportivo Guadalajara. Since then he has added top Costa Rican club C.D. Saprissa to Grupo Omnilife’s holdings.

Also speaking at today’s Honda Symposium, Danny Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa’s successful bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, revealed details of the social legacy that will make the South African World Cup legacy different from previous World Cups.

During a presentation titled "The First FIFA World Cup in Africa: The Successful Bid & Our Expectations for 2010," Mr. Jordaan said that, "The South African World Cup will strengthen democracy and human rights, and give new meaning to our nation."

Mr. Jordaan also discussed how the 2010 FIFA World Cup will continue a tradition of utilizing major sporting events to help build the infrastructure of the country.

For example, Mr. Jordaan said that as part of the evolving technology, in 2010, fans will be able to watch the World Cup on their cellular phones. As a result, South Africa will be the first host nation to offer the people the opportunity of enjoying the World Cup in this way.

Additionally, Mr. Jordaan pointed out that they will improve the stadiums that are already in place for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the same time, he emphasized that South Africa will not build new stadiums since they already have the infrastructure to host the World Cup.

In May of this year, FIFA selected South Africa as the host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, marking the first time that the world’s biggest sporting event will be staged on the African continent.

Mr. Jordaan promised that the South African World Cup, "will be the noisiest ever, with drums, dancing and singing."

Mr. Jordaan also directed South Africa’s bid to host the upcoming 2006 FIFA World Cup, which in 2000 finished second to Germany by just one vote. Prior to his efforts to bring the World Cup to South Africa, he was instrumental in the development of the sport in South Africa and served as Vice President and later Chief Executive Officer of the South African Football Association. He is also a member of FIFA’s Marketing and Television Advisory Board.