(KRON) — The San Jose Earthquakes announced that founder Milan Mandarić died Saturday at 87 years old. He passed away at a Serbian hospital after a short illness, according to his family.
The Quakes said they will honor Mandarić by wearing black armbands during Sunday’s road game in Canada against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Milan mandarić (photo courtesy of san jose earthquakes).
Mandarić brought the team to San Jose in 1974, making it the city’s first professional sports franchise, the Earthquakes said in a news release. He would go on to sell the team three years later but then “eventually bought them back due to his passion to grow the game in Northern California, before selling them again one last time.”
The San Jose Earthquakes released the following statement:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our founder and longtime owner Milan Mandaric. We are forever indebted to Milan for bringing professional soccer to San Jose and building the Earthquakes into one of the longest running clubs in the United States. His focus on developing soccer at the grassroots level and connecting his club closely with the community not only helped create countless soccer fans and players around San Jose and Northern California, but will serve as his lasting legacy as the sport continues to flourish. Thank you, Milan.
SJ Earthquakes
Mandarić was in attendance at PayPal Park in 2024 for the club’s 50th anniversary event honoring their inaugural season.
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