LIGA MX
New Chivas coach Fernando Gago has arrived in Guadalajara
The Argentine coach arrived on Monday and is all set to be formally announced as Chivas’ new coach, taking over the reins from Veljko Paunovic.
Fernando Gago will become Chivas’ new coach with an official announcement expected in the next few hours. The Argentinean is already in the city of Guadalajara, where he arrived on Monday, from Mexico City, following a brief stopover after leaving his native country.
On Sunday night, the news of his departure for Mexico was announced by his wife, through her personal Instagram account, in which she published a photograph saying goodbye to the coach, pictured leaving for his new adventure in the Liga MX. Today, he finally set foot on Aztec soil and was chauffeured to Perla Tapatia to close his agreement with CD Guadalajara.
Upon his arrival in the capital of Jalisco, club staff ushered him away from members of the press who were waiting for his arrival at Miguel Hidalgo International Airport. Gago was taken out of the air terminal through an alternate door, away from the prying eyes of the media. Coverage of his presence will be exclusive to the club’s own official media channels.
New challenge
Before traveling to Mexico, the 37-year-old had briefly spoken to the ESPN network, before boarding the plane. “Expectation is high, it will be a very nice challenge,” he explained. “The project really seduced. From now on, a new path begins, in a different country, a different city, so I will be trying to make the most of it.
As for being convinced to take the Chivas job, he added, “I think it was a combination of everything - from the moment the project was presented, the idea behind it, the conviction that the president and sports director have... I was excited and made the decision to accept. It’s a fairly extensive analysis. I still have to decide about a few things; I will start talking to the club before making decisions and see what is best for the project”.
Gago is expected to meet immediately with Chivas management to finalize the details of his contract, along with other issues such as who will form part of his coaching staff. But otherwise, the arrangement is practically guaranteed, so it is expected that in the next few hours, Chivas will make his appointment official. Gago will take over from Serbian coach Veljko Paunovic, who left the job last week.