Alberto Guerra and Paunovic are the only coaches who steered Chivas to a final in their very first tournament in charge.
Across world football, more clubs show impatience with managers, demanding instant results. In Mexico, the league’s structure often makes it hard for owners to persevere with a technical director who doesn’t rack up points quickly.
While Chivas joined this trend of result-driven clubs, Veljko Paunovic has managed to maintain his role, guiding the rojiblancos to another final in the Clausura 2023, reinforcing the club’s trust in him.
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Only two coaches have achieved this milestone: alongside the Serbian Veljko Paunovic stands Alberto Guerra, the other strategist who led the country’s most cherished club to a Liga MX final in his first stint as head coach.
HOW IT WAS FOR ALBERTO GUERRA
After hanging up his boots as a player, Alberto Guerra pursued coaching, starting in the lower tiers of San Luis and then moving to the first team in the 1979–80 season.
For the 1982–83 campaign, Guerra took the helm of a First Division side again. Chivas offered him the opportunity to lead the club that had once worn the rojiblanco colors on the field.
Guerra managed to reach the finals in his debut season with Chivas. The path ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Puebla after a tied aggregate score of two goals each. Before that final, the team had accumulated 40 points, having eliminated Atlante and América in the playoff phase.
History notes that Alberto Guerra was the first to achieve this feat in the 82/83 season.
They were knocked out by Puebla after ousting América in the semifinals. pic.twitter.com/iIgd7091cl
— Juan Pablo Felix (@jpablofelix) May 25, 2023
Which team will win the Clausura 2023 Liga MX?
- Monterrey
- America
- Chivas
- Toluca
- tigers
- Other
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Which team will win the Clausura 2023 Liga MX?
- 12%Monterrey
- 25%America
- 40%Chivas
- 2%Toluca
- 16%tigers
- 5%Other
19884 to vote
Source: Goal