Concacaf Champions Cup

Tigres blame Donald Trump for Concacaf Champions Cup loss

The Liga MX side maintain that not being able to travel a day earlier because the airspace was closed due to Trump’s visit ended up affecting their performance.

Tigres blame Donald Trump for Concacaf Champions Cup loss
Jorge Martinez

Tigres are on the verge of elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup after losing 3-0 away to FC Cincinnati. The Monterrey-based team struggled against the MLS side and now need to win by four goals to advance.

The Liga MX giants cite the fact that they were unable to travel the day before the game due to the closure of airspace for the visit of the President of the United States, Donald Trump to Kentucky, which caused them to have to travel on the same day as the game.

“I think what happened on this trip today is clearly not normal. Honestly, everything I say will sound like excuses, but I really think it’s unprofessional” stated Guido Pizarro, the team’s coach. “Nobody is thinking about the players. We were traveling practically all day, we arrived at the hotel at five in the afternoon, and then we came here to play. I think that part is unprofessional. We have to think about the players to give them a better show,” he said at the post-match press conference.

The Monterrey team had planned to land in Cincinnati last Wednesday, March 11, that is, one day before the match, but TUDN reports indicated that due to Trump’s visit to Kentucky, Cincinnati was also closed.

Tigres blame Donald Trump for Concacaf Champions Cup loss
Jorge Martinez

Tigres tried to change the game

Guido also noted that they tried to move the match day with the Concacaf officials, however, despite doing everything possible to change the date of the match, it was not possible and Tigres had to play the game on Thursday.

“What Concacaf did to Tigres is revenge. Concacaf has been fining them for not showing up to conferences and for not attending the field inspection.” said Monterrey-based journalist Willie González.

For his part, David Faitelson disagrees with his colleague in the media, and stated that traveling on the same day as the match is a “cheap pretext” to justify the defeat.

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