Chivas Announces New Sports Structure Following Fernando Hierro’s Departure
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — Chivas announced on Tuesday the establishment of a technical sports committee that will take over the responsibilities previously held by Fernando Hierro, who parted ways with the team as sports director last week. The coach of Spain in the 2018 World Cup had worked for a year and a half at Guadalajara before accepting an offer from the Saudi club Al Nassr.
The members of the new structure include Juan Carlos Martínez as project director, Fran Pérez as professional football director, and Sergio Pérez as talent scout. All three were already part of the “Rebaño Sagrado” before. Fran Pérez, also Spanish, joined the team along with Hierro a year and a half ago.
“We trust that this sports structure, which represents an evolution in the process, will keep us focused and firm on the same path,” the team said in a statement.
During Hierro’s time, Chivas went from a team that had only qualified for two playoffs in five years to being a contender that reached a final, a semifinal, and quarter-finals with two different coaches, Serbian Veljko Paunovic and Argentine Fernando Gago.
The continuity of the project left by Hierro also ensures Gago’s stay in the position. The former player of Boca Juniors and Real Madrid took over in January. Chivas, one of the two most popular teams in the country, aims to win the championship for the first time since the Clausura 2017, when they claimed their 12th title in history, making them the second most successful team in Mexico.