When entrepreneur and Berkeley graduate Dmitry Piterman put pen to paper last year and officially acquired the USL franchise, he was essentially combining his two great passions: a passion for the Bay Area -- where he lives and attended college -- and a passion for soccer, to which he devotes much of his life.

"The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the premier markets in the world," said Piterman. "The world’s best city and the world’s most popular sport are a perfect match."

Piterman is also president of Spanish club Deportivo Alavés, and named the franchise "California Victory" after Alavés’ home city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country of Spain.

The Victory’s Spanish connection makes it not only the first USL franchise owned by a professional European team, but adds an exciting dimension to the club: a handful of players will come from affiliate club Alavés. The agreement also puts a spotlight on some of the Victory’s young players here who may be looking toward careers in Europe.

"There is definitely an opportunity for the younger players, as they’ll be eager to play in La Liga [in Spain], " said head coach Glenn Van Straatum. "That’s what makes this team so unique."

Additionally, the Victory has signed seasoned professionals from Latin America, as well as talent from college, MLS, and USL. It’s a team, says Van Straatum, that promises a lethal blend of disciplined, organized defense and relentless attack.

The club plays its home games at the legendary Kezar Stadium near Golden Gate Park. Kezar seats 10,000 people and was once the home of the 49ers and the Raiders.

Terry Fisher, a longtime U.S. Soccer executive and coach, is our general manager, with Van Straatum and former U.S. international Hugo Perez making up the coaching staff.

"Our home venue at historical Kezar Stadium captures the vision for our organization," said Fisher. "We look forward to bringing exciting soccer entertainment to our fans and a deep involvement in the sports community."

 

California Victory
It's More than Just a Name!

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You might wonder just how we came up with our name - the California Victory - so here is the story behind the name!

The Victory is owned by the Dimitry Piterman, the president of the Spanish League team Deportivo Alavés.  The teams home base in Spain is Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the capital city  of the province of Álava.

Among the rich history of the city, is the fact that the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon there on June 21, 1813.  That victory ended French control in Spain.

Hense our name; California Victory, is directly to the fact that our team resides in Calfornia, and related to Vitoria, or Victory, in Spain.