AFC Ann Arbor is excited to announce their partnership with Diaza Football to provide the men’s and women’s teams with kits and the club with apparel throughout the 2022 season. Already equipping teams like Inter Detroit, we are excited to work with Diaza in providing quality apparel for fans and players alike.
"Partnering with Diaza falls in line with our commitment to support Black and Brown-owned businesses,” said Club Chair Bilal Saeed. He would add, “In addition, Diaza fits our club’s needs perfectly. Their ability to customize all of their products gives AFC Ann Arbor the ability to better represent who we are with what we wear."
On the Diaza end, Founder and CEO Diego Hurtado said about the partnership with AFCAA, “What drew us to work with Ann Arbor the most is the club's history. The positive reputation and respect that Ann Arbor enjoys as a soccer team and organization convinced us that we needed a team similar to them.” Hurtado would echo a similar point to Saeed, saying, “As our brand grows, we want to partner with teams that have a mission, are active in their communities, and have a clear vision for soccer fan engagement, and AFC Ann Arbor fits this description perfectly.”
Hurtado’s story is fascinating and one of drive and entrepreneurial spirit. After a standout professional career, starting in 2011 with Miami United and taking the Colombian to the New York Cosmos, Las Vegas Lights, and Milwaukee Torrent, among other stops, Hurtado decided to enter a new realm where he can not only create great apparel and be part of the sport but help players individually. “Through Diaza, we want to discuss [overlooked or underappreciated players], bring their stories to the people, to the professional connections we have, and why not assist them in transitioning from a semi-professional team to a professional one. We want the public to be aware of their stories and sacrifices.”
A shining example of this sort of player is one of Hurtado’s close friends, and an AFCAA legend, Dario Suarez. The current star attacker for FC Tulsa comes from a similar background from Hurtado, both arriving in the U.S. in Miami in hopes of achieving their goals and dreams. Hurtado even almost asked Suarez about joining AFCAA, as he recalls, “I almost asked him to bring me to the team because I saw the quality of the league, the atmosphere and how much the fans loved the team, and I wanted to be a part of something similar.” Hurtado ultimately earned another opportunity elsewhere, but the club looks forward to welcoming him in this capacity.
Returning to the topic of sharing stories, Hurtado highlights Suarez’s story, saying, “Consider this: it was never easy for Dario to relocate from Miami to Michigan, with no English and a cultural barrier, but he did it, and there are many other players like him.” He would add, “However, we need to talk about this more, to educate coaches, scouts, and professional soccer teams about the many talented players who deserve at least one shot; we want to assist and create that shot, whenever possible, and without interfering with the club's philosophy.”
Diaza is not just an apparel brand, but a soccer brand and AFC Ann Arbor are excited to partner with an organization as committed to helping players as this club.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014, and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!