Tijuana Xolos: Luis Zubeldia Could Be Club Tijuana’s Next Manager
The Liga MX Apertura 2017 is all over for the Tijuana Xolos as the team failed to advance in the Copa MX and failed to make the playoffs in the Liga MX.
Eduardo Coudet was relieved of his duties as Tijuana’s manager after a 3-1 road loss to Chivas de Guadalajara in week 15 of the competition.
Since then, Diego Torres was appointed as the interim manager but the 38-year-old failed to make a significant impact on the team. Torres led the Xolos to an impressive 2-1 win against Leon in his first game in charge, but then lost 4-0 against Pachuca in the Copa MX quarterfinals and 3-1 against Toluca in week 17 of the competition.
Torres will certainly not be considered for the job after such poor performances by his team, and now the front office must look for someone to take that managerial role. This might not be the easiest task with the recently reported financial issues the team is facing, which could make certain candidates think twice before taking the job.
According to Said Rodriguez, Club Tijuana may have its replacement for Coudet and Diego Torres.
Rodriguez sent out a tweet saying “Yes, I have confirmation that Luis Zubeldia is already in contact with Xolos to be the next manager in Tijuana”. Zubeldia had been linked to the job by other sources in the past few days, like TV Azteca’s David Medrano, who mentioned it on TV during the Santos Laguna vs Club America match.
It seems like Zubeldia will be the next manager in the border city after a failed rebuilding process with Eduardo Coudet. The shadow of Miguel Herrera will still loom over the next Xolos’ manager, but Zubeldia could prove to be a decent option.
The Argentine is known more for his very tight pants more than anything, but has had success in Mexico before. He is very young at just 36 years old, and plays a very attractive style of play that can suit Club Tijuana.
Zubeldia managed Santos Laguna in the Clausura 2016 tournament and led Los Guerreros to the playoffs, but was fired just five games into the Apertura 2016 due to a very poor start. The Argentine also led the team from Torreon to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, which the Xolos will be a part of next year.
Y si, me confirman que Luis Zubeldía ya está en contacto con @Xolos para ser el próximo entrenador de Tijuana.#Xolos #Tijuana pic.twitter.com/bYW9mkCth3
— Said Rodríguez (@Saidgol) November 20, 2017
Zubeldia is an enticing option, but is a huge risk, as he was disastrous in his latest managing gig. The 36-year-old made it to Spain to coach La Liga side Deportivo Alaves, but was fired after just four games as the team lost all four games and inclusively failed to score. It will be interesting to see if Zubeldia does get the job and if he can start a new successful project after Eduardo Coudet failed in his.
Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.