Professional soccer has been rekindled in the Fresno region bearing a familiar name.
Officially launched Tuesday following weeks of rumors and four days after The Bee reported details of soccer’s return, the Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club will take the field in spring 2022 in USL League One.
The new Central Valley Fuego is not a rebirth of the old Fresno Fuego, an amateur squad that competed from 2003-17 in the Premier Development League. Nor does it have anything to do with Fresno FC, which folded in October 2019 following two seasons in USL Championship.
Rather, Fuego Futbol Club is a start-up enterprise with bold plans that extend from soccer’s pro ranks to grass-roots level. Bringing back the Fuego name is meant to honor the sport’s rich local history, according to President/General Manager Chris Wilson.
The Fuego name and brand were purchased — but not used — in 2018 by Fresno FC owner Ray Beshoff. Those rights have been transferred to the new club, USL officials confirmed.
“People were pumped to have Fresno FC come to town, but a lot of them wanted to see the Fuego club promoted to the professional ranks,” Wilson said. “I think that may have been a miss, to be honest.
“The Fuego name means something to Fresno soccer fans. It’s an important brand.”
Fresno FC failed in large part because the team’s business model depended on building (and operating) a soccer-specific venue. Beshoff and President Frank Yallop looked at several sites but couldn’t strike a deal with the city.
Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club has similar ideas. Owners Juan and Alicia Ruelas want to purchase Selland Arena, Valdez Hall and the street-level parking lot next to Selland from the city of Fresno and transform them into a soccer complex.
A pop-up soccer stadium with seating for 5,000 would be constructed in the parking lot utilizing the arena’s box office and locker rooms. The building itself (as well as Valdez Hall) would hold indoor soccer leagues and tournaments as well as other events.
The plan faces its first hurdle Thursday when the Fresno City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to declare Selland and Valdez Hall as surplus, a necessary step for any potential sale of public property. Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer supports the concept.
The Ruelas, according to Wilson, own 45 acres of undeveloped land near Valley Children’s Hospital where they plan to build more soccer facilities — part of a larger vision to bolster youth development in the region.
If a deal for Selland can’t be reached, the team would consider building a 5,000-seat stadium in Madera County and playing home games there.
“If we can develop both pieces of property, that would be ideal,” Wilson said.
FUEGO OWNERS’ NET WORTH
Who are Juan and Alicia Ruelas? Both are Mexican immigrants who came to central San Joaquin Valley as teenagers and went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Fresno State and (in Juan’s case) a doctorate at the University of Utah. Juan Ruelas became a high school and college teacher before he and Alicia started several businesses under Ruelas Enterprises Inc. umbrella.
The Ruelas have three sons — all soccer players — and reside in southeast Fresno. The family must have some wealth. According to Forbes magazine, the expansion fee for a USL League One franchise is $2 million. The league also mandates prospective owners demonstrate a net worth of at least $10 million.
“The Central Valley is rich in tradition and talent and is a region that deserves professional soccer,” Juan Ruelas said in a statement. “The Fuego represents not only a brand of futbol but also a way of life. The people in this valley are bold, hardworking, and have an unparalleled burning desire to be great. We are proud of our diversity and deep roots. Dale Fuego!”
Central Valley Fuego will likely bring back the red and black of old, though Wilson said no final decisions on the club’s colors or logo will be made without fan input as part of the process.
Jeremy Schultz, the longtime Fresno Fuego GM and minority owner, said he was “super supportive” as well as pleased to see the name get new life.
“It made a lot of us that have blood, sweat and tears invested in the club feel very good that they’re paying homage to the history of soccer in the Valley,” said Schultz, who is starting his own indoor soccer and brewery project in Visalia.
LEAGUE ONE SEEKS GROWTH
USL League One was founded in 2017 after being known by several names and guises since the mid ‘90s. It is the baseball equivalent of Double-A, two rungs below MLS and one below USL Championship.
Twelve clubs competed in USL League One in 2020, but only one (Tucson, Ariz.) was located west of Texas. However, there are plans for rapid expansion.
USL Vice President of Communications Ryan Madden said the league is engaged in “active negotiations” with 15 cities in an effort to bolster its Western footprint.
“It’s entirely possible that League One will double in size between now and the 2026 World Cup,” Madden said. “It’s also fair to say that a large portion of that overall expansion will occur on the West Coast. We have no doubt that Central Valley supporters will have some great West Coast rivalries to enjoy in the coming years.”
League One teams play 28 regular-season matches (14 home, 14 away) from March to October. Wilson, who previously worked in the front offices of Fresno FC and the Fresno Grizzlies, anticipates the Fuego will also host multiple exhibitions.
“For Valley and Club” will be Fuego Futbol Club’s motto. That’s a slight change from the “For City and Club” employed by Fresno FC.
“We want to extend beyond the city limits and touch the entire Valley, from Merced and Mariposa to Tulare and all the way out west to Coalinga,” Wilson said. “We want the Fuego to represent the entire Valley.”
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