After a rough stretch, the sky board made a bold move and relieved Raúl Potro Gutiérrez of his duties. The decision comes as part of Cruz Azul’s ongoing effort to rethink leadership during a difficult late stage of Closure 2023 in the MX season. The club, which has long carried the weight of its storied past, is attempting to reverse a trend that has seen recent years marked by instability and a struggle to rebuild a consistent competitive core.
Blue Cross entered the final stretch of the campaign with a point to spare, but still with a game in hand. The directive from the top, guided by Victor Velázquez and the club’s board, signaled a decisive shift at the coaching level. The plan prioritizes a fresh direction to stabilize the team and convert potential into results on match days that matter most. This move marks a turning point for a club that has faced both sporting and institutional pressures since lifting its ninth league title in the Guardians 2021. Those triumphs are now part of a broader backstory that includes the departure of longtime president Billy Alvarez, a change that has amplified the climate of uncertainty around La Noria.
In recent seasons Cruz Azul has battled to restore a solid base of players and a coaching staff capable of delivering consistent performances. The absence of that stability has been evident in back-to-back campaigns where the club has grappled with inconsistent results, high expectations, and the pressure to restore the club to its former glory. As the team prepared for the sixth matchday, it found itself at a critical juncture, needing to turn the page and rebuild momentum rather than dwell on past disappointments.
In the latest fixture, Cruz Azul headed to the Nemesio Diez Stadium with hopes of breaking the skid that had plagued the season. The fixture pitted them against Toluca, a squad confident and well-organized, and the match ended in a 3-1 defeat. The result reinforced a bleak run of form, deepening the sense that a fresh approach was required at the helm. The loss sealed a difficult chapter in a season that has tested the squad and the club’s leadership, prompting the decision to seek a different leadership path at the first team level.
Gutiérrez had led the team through fifteen league encounters, compiling six wins, three draws, and six defeats for an effectiveness of around the mid forty percent range. Those numbers reveal a coach who brought energy and moments of promise but who ultimately could not sustain a trajectory that met the club’s ambitions. The club will now look to reframe the process, aiming to balance immediate results with long term development that can restore confidence among players, fans, and stakeholders alike. This is a time for strategic adjustments across recruitment, player development, and the tactical framework that supports the squad’s identity.
The turning point reflects more than a single result. It signals an opportunity to reset expectations, reinvigorate the locker room, and align the club with a plan that emphasizes resilience, discipline, and a clear path toward competitiveness. Fans watch with a mix of disappointment and cautious optimism, hopeful that the new direction can translate into sustained improvements as the season progresses. As conversations continue behind closed doors, the club remains focused on building a team that can deliver consistent performances, maximize its strengths, and minimize the errors that have cost points and games in crucial moments.
Source: Goal