Chivas Announce New Manager | OneFootball

Los Rojiblancos have confirmed that Óscar García Junyent will be the new manager as Chivas aim for an improved Clausura.

The saga began during the Apertura regular season as Chivas fell to Atlas in the Clásico Tapatío, in front of their home fans at the Estadio Akron.

In the hours after the loss, Fernando Gago decided to leave his post as manager in favour of a return to his boyhood Boca Juniors in Argentina.

The sudden exit left the club in a difficult position but they decided to hand the position to the Tapatío manager Arturo Ortega on a temporary basis, until the end of the Apertura campaign.

Chivas ended the Apertura in 9th position, before losing their Play-In encounter with their city rivals, once again at the Akron.

As a result, the club opted against remaining with Orteaga for the Clausura in the new year. In their search, names such as Víctor Manuel Vucetich, Ricardo Ferretti and Gonzalo Pineda circled around but now they have their man.

Óscar García Junyent

In his playing days, Junyent was an attacking player. Coached by the legendary Johan Cryuff at Barcelona, he retired at the age of 31 after wearing the colours Valencia, Espanyol, and a loan spell at Albacete.

By 2009, Junyent transitioned into management, starting with Barcelona's youth team before taking his first role abroad with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. After a decade-long wait, he led the club to its first league title but chose to step down after just one season. In 2013, he succeeded Gus Poyet at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Championship, England's second division. However, a disappointing campaign on the south coast led to his return to Tel Aviv. This marked the beginning of a nomadic managerial career with stints at Watford, Celta Vigo, Stade de Reims, RB Salzburg, Olympiakos, and, most recently, OH Leuven in Belgium.

Now, the 51-year-old lands in Mexico for his first position outside of Europe.

The Task in Guadalajara

Chivas and Junyent alike have both gone seven years without domestic silverware. Los Rojiblancos last lifted a Liga MX title with the 2017 Clausura whilst Junyent did the double in Salzburg, claiming the Bundesliga and Austrian Cup.

Junyent’s first task is to assemble a squad capable of meeting the club's lofty expectations. A 9th-place finish in the current Apertura falls well short of what fans and stakeholders demand. Just recently, the team reached the 2024 Clausura semifinal and the 2023 Clausura final, underscoring their potential. Allowing standards to slip further is not an option if the club hopes to maintain its position among the league's elite.

Next on the list is the future of Jesús Orozco Chiquete which remains to be a pressing concern for Chivas. The 22-year-old central defender is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents in the region, and rumours are swirling about a potential move to rivals Cruz Azul. If Chivas aim to remain competitive in the upper echelons of the Clausura, retaining their star players is non-negotiable—and Orozco is undoubtedly a cornerstone of their ambitions.