1904 FC co-founds new league, to start play in September

SAN DIEGO - San Diego’s 1904 FC has co-founded the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which is a new professional football league sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation and the club is in the final stages of securing a San Diego stadium lease to participate in the league’s inaugural season starting this September.

The determined ownership includes current high-profile professionals and other world football experts. 1904 FC was brought to San Diego by the founding team in 2016 and first planned on participating in the now-defunct NASL. At that time, it was the only option for professional football in the area.

After NASL’s professional status was removed, 1904 FC then entered into talks to play in the USL, but after consideration, the club determined that a USL structure was not aligned with their vision. Now, along with a group of forward-thinking owners from across

the nation, 1904 FC has co-founded a league with a model that is unique to the United States, but conforms to the world model of football.

For more information on the league, visit http://www.nisaofficial.com

Demba Ba, the ex-1899 Hoffenheim, West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea player who currently plays for Istanbul Basaksehir, is a co-owner of the club and has had an active role since founding it in 2016. Despite all obstacles, the ownership team has stayed laser-focused on bringing professional football to San Diego.

Ba said in a statement, “If you want to be a professional, you have to have a 'never give up' attitude. The ownership team has this type of commitment to this area, because we believe in what this club can do for San Diego players and what it can do for those in San Diego who are passionate about the sport like us.

“Football has been my life and my passion. Now my mission is to give back. I want to provide a pathway for talented San Diego players to reach the greatest heights of this game, and I want to provide San Diego football fans a proper club to support that is authentic to the world’s game. This is a football club created by football players who understand what it takes to compete on the biggest stage, and San Diego has waited long enough for this.”

Eden Hazard, the ex-Chelsea player who just finished a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid, also has an ownership stake in the new club.

“We have a great project and now we finally have the opportunity to start with the new league, NISA," Hazard said in a statement. "1904 FC players have a chance to have owners that play football at the highest levels. For the young players in our club this is invaluable. We will create something that San Diego will be proud of, and we will serve the young talent in this community well.”