Pumas boss Andrés Lillini not ruling out exit after Apertura 2022 failure
In the wake of Pumas’ failure to reach the Liga MX playoffs, Andrés Lillini was non-committal on his future as head coach on Monday.
Following Pumas’ elimination from Liga MX playoffs contention, head coach Andrés Lillini has not ruled out departing his post at the end of the Apertura 2022 regular season.
Last week’s 2-1 defeat to Puebla left the 16th-placed Universitarios four points adrift of the playoff spots with one game remaining, against Juárez on Friday.
“It’s a situation that comes down to the board”
“I can’t rule anything out, because it’s a situation that comes down to the board,” Lillini told reporters at Pumas’ training ground on Monday. “We haven’t met yet and we’re taking stock of the year and a campaign that, of course, hasn’t been an easy one. So nothing can be ruled out.”
He added: “I have a board of directors that has always supported this project. We’ve been in charge for 106 games and not everyone is able to do that. We ought to have won a championship; we’ve come close, and we’ve also been far away from managing it [...].
“But at the end of the day, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved in my career and I have to be grateful that a club like Pumas can give me 106 games.”
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Morale low at Pumas after Apertura exit
Lillini also conceded that the mood in the Pumas camp isn’t good right now. “Spirits are low, because we aren’t where we ought to be,” he said. “This isn’t the goal we set for ourselves. We didn’t meet our goal. Whenever we pull on this shirt we have to rise to the occasion for the club and for the fans,” he said.