How André Jardine turned his “worst” Club América team into Liga MX champions
With Las Águilas languishing in the Clausura 2026 table, the story of Jardine’s past comeback offers real hope for fans.
Club América’s disappointing start to the Clausura 2026 season has raised eyebrows across Liga MX. But if recent history under head coach André Jardine is any indication, panic would be premature.
After six matchdays, Las Águilas sit 10th in the standings with just eight points. For a club accustomed to contending for titles, that is unfamiliar territory. Still, the situation feels strikingly similar to what unfolded during the Apertura 2024 campaign, when América also stumbled out of the gate before turning the season into a championship run.
A rocky opening, then a title
In the fall of 2024, América’s numbers after six games were just as troubling. The team had scored only seven goals and conceded 10. A humiliating Clásico loss to Cruz Azul capped Matchday 6 and intensified questions about the project.
The path through those opening weeks was anything but smooth. América fell to Atlético San Luis in the season opener, bounced back with a win over Querétaro, then dropped another result against Tigres. A victory over Juárez briefly steadied the ship, but back-to-back losses to Puebla and Cruz Azul left the club with only two wins in its first six matches.
At that point, the mood around the team was tense. Yet Jardine’s steady management and tactical adjustments paid off as the regular season progressed.
From Play-In to champions
That 2024 squad barely made it into the postseason picture. América finished eighth overall, forcing the club into Liga MX’s Play-In round just to qualify for the Liguilla, Mexico’s playoffs.
Once there, however, experience and depth took over. América advanced through the quarterfinals and beyond, leaning on its system and big-game pedigree to capture the league title. The turnaround reinforced a pattern under Jardine: slow starts do not necessarily define his teams. More often than not, they peak when the stakes are highest.
Can lightning strike twice?
The parallels to Clausura 2026 are hard to ignore. América currently sits outside the automatic qualification spots and is coming off a high-profile Clásico Nacional loss to Chivas. Pressure is mounting, especially given the club’s stature and expectations.
But there is reason for optimism. Upcoming fixtures against Puebla and Tigres offer an opportunity to reset the narrative. Inside the locker room, the belief is that resilience, not panic, is the formula.
For América supporters, the message is clear. This team has already proven it can climb from the middle of the table to the top of Liga MX. If history repeats itself, the early-season turbulence may once again be just the prelude to a much bigger story.
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