Her identify was etched within the reminiscence of thousands and thousands because of her function as Gabrielle Solís in “Desperate Housewives,” a collection that established Eva Longoria as probably the most influential Latina actresses in Hollywood.
She went on to turn into a producer, director, entrepreneur, activist and, lately, an investor on the planet of sports activities, the place she has earned the nickname “La Patrona” — or “The Boss” in English — which simply may very well be the title of a Mexican cleaning soap opera.
After greater than 20 years of credit and awards earned within the leisure trade, Longoria has shifted her focus. Immediately, her function as “La Patrona” of Liga MX group Membership Necaxa attracts on her household’s roots, her ardour for storytelling and her dedication to giving Mexico visibility on the planet.
Her involvement was not restricted to serving on Necaxa’s board of administrators as a star investor. From the start, she knew she needed to inform a narrative. Impressed by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ “Welcome to Wrexham” docuseries, she determined to supply the the docuseries “Necaxa,” which premiered on Aug. 7 on FX. Cameras take viewers behind the scenes, observe alongside on street journeys and supply an intimate have a look at the soccer group.
Rob McElhenney, left, and Eva Longoria stand on the sector at Estadio Victoria, Liga MX group Membership Necaxa’s residence stadium.
(HANDOUT / FX)
Few might have imagined a Mexican American actress would turn into the main entrance workplace voice for a historic Mexican soccer membership, whose residence stadium — Estadio Victoria — is situated within the metropolis of Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico.
In 2021, Longoria joined a gaggle of buyers who acquired 50% possession of the group. McElhenney, the actor greatest recognized for the TV present “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and Reynolds, who turned the mercenary Deadpool into probably the most beloved antiheroes within the Marvel universe, later joined the possession group.
Whereas restoring Necaxa to prominence in Liga MX was solely a enterprise and artistic enterprise, it additionally had a deep private element. Longoria grew up in Texas watching sports activities together with her father, Enrique Longoria Jr.
“My dad can’t believe it. He doesn’t believe I’m ‘La Patrona,’” Longoria instructed L.A. Instances en Español. “I’ll always be his little girl. … But I love sports because of my dad. My dad always watched the Dallas Cowboys, the Spurs, the Texas Rangers. … Every sport, I watched with him. I love sports because of the drama, the excitement, the ups and downs.”
In 2020, McElhenney and Reynolds acquired Wrexham AFC, a Welsh group that had been caught within the Nationwide League — the fifth division of English soccer — since 2008. The group has steadily climbed the ranks to succeed in the Championship, only one step away from the highest division, the Premier League.
Though promotion and relegation is not utilized in Liga MX, Longoria aspires to see Necaxa’s “Rayos” return to prominence within the Mexican soccer playoffs and is due to this fact looking for to reflect what her colleagues achieved with Wrexham AFC whereas flying the flag for her Mexican roots.
“This opportunity came from a group of investors who called me and asked if I wanted to be part of this project in the Mexican league. When they explained to me that the league has a huge audience, because there is so much beauty and talent coming out of Mexico, I decided to go for it,” mentioned Longoria, who grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, however now primarily splits her time between properties in Mexico and Spain. “I invested in the Necaxa team because I saw a great opportunity, not only as a business venture, but also as a great way to showcase Mexico and the most passionate sport in this beautiful country, to put Mexico on the map.
“When I have the opportunity to put Mexico or Mexicans on the map, I will always do so. Whether I’m producing or directing, that’s my philosophy in storytelling. That’s why I wanted to do this with the docuseries because I knew there was a story there that we had to tell.”
Eva Longoria is “La Patrona,” which interprets to “The Boss,” in ‘Necaxa’ on FX.
(HANDOUT / FX)
Regardless of her ambition and willpower, her first go to to Aguascalientes was fraught with uncertainty.
“I was very anxious and afraid because I am a woman, I am Mexican American,” she mentioned. “I didn’t know if they would welcome me with open arms, but the truth is that they have welcomed me with open arms and I have been impressed by the local support.”
Though filming the docuseries is as vital as any of her different initiatives, her work additionally entails discovering the components to return Necaxa to the prominence it had within the Nineties when it received its solely three championships within the first division.
Her energy as a global star has allowed her enter the locker room, which is taken into account a sacred house on the planet of soccer.
After watching her confidently enter areas across the membership, the gamers dubbed her “La Patrona.”
“It’s a lot to manage a soccer club, behind the scenes, behind the docuseries,” Longoria mentioned. “We’re so lucky to have access to the locker rooms, to go home with them. For me, it’s very important to have everything in one series, because I want the world to see it all. It’s not just about points and games; you’re talking about real lives.”
Longoria has additionally turn into a bridge between cultures and markets. As co-owner and unique investor in Angel Metropolis FC within the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League, she acknowledges the variations between soccer in the USA and Mexico. That have, coupled together with her connection to McElhenney and Reynolds, has formed a broader imaginative and prescient.
“Here in Necaxa, there’s a saying: ‘If there’s no suffering, it’s not Necaxa.’ I’m explaining this saying to them, because the fans have embraced the idea that you have to suffer to win,” she mentioned. “Rob and Ryan know a little bit about this, and we wanted to explore that idea in the series.”
Diego González, Necaxa’s head of media relations, mentioned Longoria’s arrival marked a turning level for the membership.
“It’s something unexpected, something surprising to have something like this with Necaxa and Aguascalientes,” he mentioned of the docuseries. “It’s seeing inside Club Necaxa. Getting to know not only the player, but the people, the city … lots of emotions, lots of feelings that represent what soccer is and how it’s lived in Necaxa.”
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Diego ‘Sheldon’ González, jefe de prensa del Membership Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Los actores Ryan Reynolds (izq) y Rob McElhenney son inversionistas del Membership Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Eva Longoria es ‘La Patrona’ en Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Rob McElhenney (izq) y Eva Longoria en la cancha del Estadio Victoria del Membership Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Escudo del Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Estadio Victoria, la casa del Membership Necaxa. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Toma aerea de Aguascalientes. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Necaxa en un partido de la Liga MX. (HANDOUT / FX)
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El jugador Alex Peña mientras se recuperaba de una lesión que obligó a una operación. (HANDOUT / FX)
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Eva Longoria es ‘La Patrona’ en Welcome to Necaxa de FX. (HANDOUT / FX)
Opening the doorways to the cameras was not straightforward, in keeping with González, however Longoria’s presence made it attainable.
“It’s something that is highly respected, that intimacy of the locker rooms, the training camps, the trips. The players had to get used to it, but the professionalism of the club and the production team helped. You’ll notice it in the series: it feels so natural because that’s how it was,” mentioned González, whom the gamers name “Sheldon” due to his resemblance to the character Sheldon Cooper from the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”
He describes Longoria’s relationship with the group as shut and real.
“When she arrived in Aguascalientes, she showed herself as she is, even nervous, but without wanting to impose anything,” González mentioned. “That naturalness helped the players feel comfortable. You don’t know how to treat a superstar, but she gives you the confidence to approach her and talk about anything.”
The affect of Longoria, McElhenney and Reynolds has gone past the locker room. They’ve put Necaxa on the worldwide map.
“The most visible thing is the international showcase they can give you,” González mentioned. “Necaxa was already known for its soccer merits, but now you have fans of Rob, Ryan, Eva, even Wrexham. A whole range of important possibilities has opened up for us, and that’s thanks to them.”
This text first appeared in Spanish by way of L.A. Instances en Español.
