Two Liga MX managers given walking papers already
It wasn’t a good weekend to be a head coach in Guadalajara.
We’re only three weeks into the Guardianes 2020 season and already two pink slips have been handed out. The Chivas sacked Luis Fernando Tena on Sunday after the team’s disappointing 0-1-2 start, while crosstown rivals Atlas sent Rafa Puente, Jr., packing a day later.
New Guadalajara GM Ricardo Peláez shelled out big bucks in the winter in an effort to end the Chivas’ longest-ever playoff drought and when the Clausura 2020 was aborted after 10 games, the Chivas were in fifth place.
Pundits labeled the Goats a title contender for the Guardianes 2020 and then they reached the final of the preseason Copa GNP, a harbinger of things to come, right? Not so fast.
It was perhaps an omen when Coach Tena missed two Copa matches after contracting Covid-19. Soon thereafter, the virus wreaked havoc on the Chivas. Six players have missed a total of 12 matches after testing positive, including key starters Fernando Beltrán (midfielder) and Alexis Vega (forward) who have missed all three Liga MX games thus far.
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After building such high expectations, excuses are not allowed. Making matters worse, the Chivas failed to find the net in any of their three matches thus far, the first time in their storied history that they were scoreless after three games.
Tena was fired a day after the club’s 1-0 home loss to León on Saturday night. Sporting Director Marcelo Michel will take the reins as interim coach for Wednesday’s game against FC Juárez.
The Chivas are expected to present Víctor Manuel Vucetich – aka “King Midas” – as their next coach on Thursday. We’ll have more on him in our next column.
Across town, Atlas had given coach Puente an ultimatum – win against Atlético de San Luis or adios. The writing was on the wall after the Zorros settled for a 1-1 tie against the Tuneros. Puente is gone while Atlas is mired in 16th place with an 0-1-2 record. What’s worse, the Zorros are in last place in the Liga MX relegation standings. The spot in the cellar will not result in demotion, but this table will be used to determine which three clubs will have to pony up millions of pesos to remain in first division.
The young coach had taken over in January after his predecessor, Leandro Cufre, was fired three games into the Clausura, but a 1-1-7 record while in charge just didn’t cut it. Nor did the -10 goal differential (8 goals for, 18 goals against). Rubén Duarte will manage Atlas for the next two games (Thursday vs Toluca and Sunday at Santos Laguna).