News - 06/03/2004

Major Indoor Soccer League - Chicago Storm

Chicago Storm Unveils Name, Logo

A STORM IS COMING TO CHICAGO

Chicago Storm Photo: Members of the Chicago Indoor Soccer Club, LLC along with Commissioner Steve Ryan (center), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Viktor Jakovljevic (second from right) and Head Coach/ General Manager Frank Klopas (far right). Photo by: Ted Pacyga/TZPhoto

Chicago, IL– Chicago Indoor Soccer Club, LLC and the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) announced today at Greek Islands Restaurant the birth of the Chicago Storm professional indoor soccer team to compete in the 2004-05 season. The organization also announced that Chicago soccer legend Frank Klopas will take the reins as the Storm’s Head Coach and General Manager. The team will play home games at The Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

“We are ecstatic to bring the MISL to the City of Chicago,” said MISL Commissioner Steve Ryan. “I want to thank Viktor Jakovljevic and the Chicago Indoor Soccer Club for their hard work and commitment to making this happen. Chicago is a great city with a diverse ethnic community and a rich soccer tradition. Today’s unveiling of the Chicago Storm not only strengthens the League’s presence in the Midwest, but also, with the recent addition of Newark, NJ, brings the MISL footprint to three of the nations’ top four media markets, continuing the momentum of growing the MISL far beyond the roots of its six founding members of just three years ago. I look forward to a tremendously successful team here in Chicago and the creation of a strong rivalry between the Storm and our Milwaukee Wave team.”

The “Yellow and Black” will be led by former Chicago Power midfielder and Storm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Viktor Jakovljevic (pronounced yuh-KOVE-luh-VICH). The Svetozarevo, Yugoslavia native is also the President and sole shareholder of Deva Development, Inc. in Chicago.

“We are thrilled to present the Chicago Storm to the great city that is Chicago,” said Jakovljevic. “I have been involved in the Chicago soccer community for a long time and we will be passionate about our contributions to building an organization the community will be proud of. The Pavilion provides an ideal setting for all Storm home games. The West Loop has seen great development over the past few years and this is the perfect place to put our new team. It also gives me great pleasure to have Frank Klopas lead this team.”

Klopas, 37, joins the Storm as its inaugural Head Coach and General Manager after serving as an assistant coach for the Chicago Fire in 2000, where he also played from 1998 through 1999. The former United States National Team, Chicago Sting and Fire standout, who signed his first professional contract at age 17 will be inducted into the Chicago Fire’s “Ring of Fire” this Saturday, June 5 at Soldier Field in a ceremony prior to the Fire-D.C. United contest at 3:00 p.m. CT. Klopas will become the second member of the prestigious group, as current D.C. Head Coach Peter Nowak was the first to be inducted last year.

“I am honored to be named the Head Coach and General Manager of the Storm,” said Klopas. “I am looking forward to contributing to the soccer tradition of Chicago. It is a great opportunity and a challenge for me. This is the next step for me as a professional. Soccer is my life and I am going to work hard to build a competitive team that Chicago can be proud of, one that is committed to bringing championships to the city and a team that will stand the test of time.”

The Pavilion, located at 1150 West Harrison Avenue in Chicago will host home games for the Storm as the two organizations agreed to a multi-year lease. The 8,400-seat arena will see professional indoor soccer return to the venue for the first time since 1996.

“The UIC Pavilion is excited to have the Chicago Storm as a new event in the venue,” said Director of the facility Harold Hansen. “With the renovation of the Pavilion and now the addition of an MISL team, it makes the UIC campus and the Pavilion part of the excitement of our Near West Side neighborhood. We are looking forward to the start of the season and many thrilling Chicago Storm soccer games.”

The MISL will conduct an expansion draft for the Storm on Wednesday, June 23. Details of the operation of the expansion draft will be released on Monday, June 7.

The Storm also named its President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Welch and Assistant General Manager and Director of Communications Nicolino Di Benedetto.

For information regarding the Chicago Storm, please log on to www.ChicagoStorm.net. Fans can place a deposit on season tickets, starting on June 15 by calling (312) 226-GOAL (4625). The MISL League schedule will be released late next month.

The Major Indoor Soccer League is a single-entity organization featuring a coast-to-coast presence with nine teams located across the United States and a ninth team in Monterrey, Mexico. On February 27, the League announced an expansion team in Stockton, CA, set to begin play in 2005-06. On May 4, the League announced plans for an expansion team in Newark, NJ, that will begin play in 2007-08. The MISL is the premier major league of indoor soccer, which played a 162-regular season game schedule that concluded on April 5. The 2003-04 MISL Championship Series concluded on May 1, when the Baltimore Blast won its second consecutive MISL Championship. The teams entered in the MISL are the Baltimore Blast, Chicago Storm, Cleveland Force, Dallas Sidekicks, Kansas City Comets, Milwaukee Wave, Monterrey Fury, Philadelphia Kixx, St. Louis Steamers and San Diego Sockers. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s website at www.MISL.net.