Chivas Guadalajara: worst two decades in Liga MX club’s history
In the last 20 years, Chivas have missed out on the Liga MX playoffs in nearly one in two tournaments, and have won just two Mexican titles.
Chivas’ defeat to Puebla in the preliminary round of the Apertura 2022 playoffs has rounded off a poor last two decades under the ownership of the Vergara family. Since businessman Jorge Vergara took over in Guadalajara in 2002, the club has missed out on postseason qualification in 19 of 41 Liga MX tournaments - and, most significantly, has won just two Mexican championships.
When were Chivas’ two titles since 2002?
The first came in the 2006 Apertura, under José Manuel de la Torre. After qualifying from the preliminary stage of the playoffs by beating Veracruz 6-1 on aggregate, Chivas saw off Cruz Azul 4-2 in the quarter-finals and arch rivals Club América 2-0 in the semi-finals, before heading into a final against Toluca. In the trophy decider, they defeated Los Diablos Rojos 3-2 over two legs.
Eleven years later, El Rebaño Sagrado earned the most recent of their total of 12 domestic championships, winning the Clausura 2017. Coached by Argentine Matías Almeyda, Chivas edged Atlas in the last eight, progressing by virtue of their higher regular-season finish after a 1-1 aggregate draw. In the semi-finals, the Guadalajarans drew 2-2 with Toluca, but again went through because of their superior league position. That victory took them into the grand final against Tigres, who they saw off 4-3 on aggregate.
Runners-up in Clausura 2004
Those two triumphs aside, the closest Chivas have come to the Liga MX title was in the Clausura 2004 tournament, when they lost the final in dramatic circumstances, going down on penalties to Pumas. With Los Rojiblancos all set to celebrate their first championship under Vergara, Rafael Medina’s shoot-out miss handed the league trophy to Los Universitarios, who at the time were coached by Mexico legend Hugo Sánchez.
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Chivas not close to Mexican title under Amaury Vergara
Since Amaury Vergara succeeded his father, Jorge, at the helm of Chivas in 2019, they have not been back to the final. Under Vergara Jr, the club has fired three coaches - Víctor Manuel Vucetich, Luis Fernando Tena and Michael Leaño - and could be about to dispense with current boss Ricardo Cadena, whose future is yet to be determined.
As time progresses, Chivas fans have been growing tired of their team’s lack of success: that is reflected in the 2022 Apertura attendance charts. Guadalajara were not among the three clubs with the highest average gate during the regular season; that podium was occupied by Tigres, Monterrey and América.
On Tuesday, Chivas announced the dismissal of sporting director Ricardo Peláez. During his two-and-a-half year tenure, the team went through four coaches and won just 151 points out of a possible 318 in the Liga MX, with 37 wins, 40 draws and 29 losses.