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Despite being only 15 years old, Club Tijuana has left an interesting mark on the Liga MX universe. The club can brag about having a sweet national title, for example. But not only that, off the field, Xolos have captivated fans with their slick narrative, crazy stories and wild superstitions.
And that's why we are here.
The obsession with the number three
Xolos was born in the mind of Jorge Alberto Hank Rhon, the owner of Casino Caliente, the biggest sports betting company in Mexico. And with that piece of information, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to infer that luck and superstition are two elements closely tied to the team.
Hank's favorite number is three, and you can see it everywhere.
One example is the Caliente Stadium capacity. The venue had 13,333 seats at its opening, nowadays the number is 27,333, and the dream is getting to 33,333.
The mascot of the team wears jersey number 333.
¿Por qué estará tan contento el @xolo333? #HechoEnTijuana pic.twitter.com/9UzG1iEsQE
— Xolos (@Xolos) February 26, 2021
The story behind it? According to some reports, it's a reminder that Hank greets people raising three fingers, symbolizing three crucial moments in his life: a defeat in a governor's election, his wife's death and some legal issues related to the possession of 88 firearms.
A weird fact? Xolos won its only title in its third tournament in the first division. It was also tournament No. 33 with the format Apertura/Clausura in Liga MX.
There is also a story around the number one. For years, goalkeepers couldn't wear it because it belonged to the team's owner. But eventually, Hank let Jonathan Orozco wear it in exchange for some money.
"There was a negotiation. I had to buy the number. He told me how much was it, and I agreed with the amount," he told Once Diario newspaper.
Why do Xolos players wear red cleats?
Another singularity around Xolos is the red cleats policy players must follow.
Inspired by the skin of Xoloitzcuintles dogs, Hank decided red would be the color of Club Tijuana's uniform. And that included jerseys, shorts, socks and also boots.
Players can wear any brand of cleats, but the club's rulebook demands they be red. If someone disobeys, he or she has to pay a $10,000 fine. A second fault means the end of the contract.
"The owners have this policy since the team was in División de Ascenso (second division), and the color represents a positive energy," former Xolos midfielder Fernando Arce told Diario Record.
And what about the snake in the tequila?
Finally, there is a story involving a special gift for new players.
The legend says they receive a bottle of tequila with a snake inside. So far, nobody has openly admitted that Xolos gave them the present, but the Argentinian striker Darío Benedetto suggested it.
Otro de las cuestiones que se escucha entre los pasillos del Estadio Caliente es que a cada refuerzo se le da un “tequila especial” cuando llega al club. Ningún jugador lo ha confirmado, pero Darío Benedetto dejó esta anécdota a @TyCSports pic.twitter.com/P86BMmgiKc
— Heriberto Muñoz (@JuanHeribertoMF) July 19, 2020
He tried the tequila but didn't like it.
