Chivas Guadalajara are set to announce this week that Gabriel Milito will be the next man to lead the club.
The decision was made a month after Gerardo Espinoza completed his duties as interim manager following the sacking of Óscar Garcia Junyent.
It's been a season to forget for Chivas, who started the Apertura with Fernando Gago, before the former Real Madrid midfielder left to return to his boyhood Boca Juniors in Argentina. The sudden departure saw Espinoza take hold of the reins for the first time before failing to lead the club beyond the play-in competition, losing to city rivals Atlas.
Garcia, 52, joined the club in January and was dealt an early blow when star defender Jesús Orozco left the club for a move to league rivals Cruz Azul. So after the Clausura got underway and Los Rojiblancos fell below the playoff positions, even lower than their Apertura position. As the weeks went by, hopes of finishing in the top ten seemed less unlikely, and they bowed out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, following a poor result against arch-nemesis Club América.
In the space of eight months, the club witnessed two permanent managers head for the exit door, with a promising young talent also leaving.
That's where we are now. The Clausura is heading to its conclusion and Chivas are nowhere to be seen. It's been two years, four competitions ago, since we saw the Guadalajara side reach a league final. In reality, not so long ago, but in football terms, it has been a lifeline.
Who is Gabriel Milito?
Gabriel Milito was a central defender is his heyday who spent four seasons with FC Barcelona, lifting two UEFA Champions Leagues.
With 22 caps for the Argentina national team, the brother of fellow Champions League winner Diego Milito has played at the highest level. Now, he signs for his seventh club as a manager, embarking on his first managerial position outside South America.
In his most recent position with Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro, Milito guided them to his first and only piece of managerial silverware in the regional championship.
His first task with the club will be to get them working towards an Apertura playoff position, either side of a run in the Leagues Cup, where they'll start in a group with New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC.
Will Gabriel Milito be a success for Chivas? Let us know your thoughts!
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