Cruz Azul fires manager Nicolas Larcamon ahead of Liguilla
The Liga MX playoffs begin the first week of May, but Cruz Azul has fired Argentine coach Nicolas Larcamon during a difficult stretch.
Cruz Azul will begin the Liguilla, Liga MX's playoffs, the first week of May, but it will do so without Nicolas Larcamon. The club fired the Argentine manager on April 22 after a 1-1 draw against Queretaro the night before extended La Maquina's winless run to nine matches in a row across all competitions. "While we recognize this could be a controversial decision because of the time in the season, after a good period of deep and objective analysis (far from the versions given in some portions of the media) we’re convinced that this is the chance to intervene ahead of the Liguilla and try to change the trend and in that way take care of the sporting project," read a portion of the club's statement.
It's a stark reversal from what Larcamon was able to achieve earlier in the year. Before the nine-game skid started, Cruz Azul was unbeaten in 15 contests dating back to mid-January. Why did Cruz Azul fire Nicolas Larcamon?
But despite those positive results, Larcamon never became beloved with the Cruz Azul fan base. He also clashed with ownership about the unenviable situation of having to play in Puebla - typically a two-hour drive from the club's headquarters in Mexico City - while renovations on the Estadio Azteca were completed ahead of the World Cup. A draw with Pumas on March 14 seemed to derail La Maquina.
The low point likely was a 3-0 loss to LAFC in the first leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup series. The reigning champion of the continental competition, Cruz Azul couldn't find a way back in the second leg, drawing 1-1 and bowing out of the competition after a 4-1 aggregate defeat. Larcamon also struggled in international play in FIFA's Intercontinental Cup, where Cruz Azul fell 2-1 to Flamengo and became the first Concacaf team to fall in the Derby of the Americas match.