Cruz Azul cannot escape the sports abyss it has been in for a long time

For 20 long years, Cruz Azul has struggled not only to win a league title but also to compete in the top positions of the championship and at least reach the finals that brought them closer to their desired goal.

It seems that the intense training sessions at La Noria facilities, the complex preseasons before the championships, and the addition of an endless list of reinforcements have not been the solution for the capital team. On more than one occasion, they have been forced to take extraordinary measures due to decisions made by the management or external figures trying to help the team.

Currently, Pedro Caixinha's team is undergoing sports coaching sessions to optimize their performance based on motivation from some experts.

"We are going to start a coaching program with the entire squad starting next week. It was something that was planned, part of a project, a process, and not because of the current situation we are experiencing," said the Portuguese coach after the defeat against Querétaro on matchday 10.

POWERS FROM BEYOND

On April 19th of last year, a self-proclaimed character named 'La Bruja Zulema' visited the team's facilities at La Noria to perform a cleansing ritual that would allow the team to become protagonists once again and conquer a new title.

At first, the 'witch's' ritual seemed to bear fruit for the cement makers, as by September of the same year, they had played 16 matches between the League and Copa MX, still under the guidance of Spanish manager Francisco Jémez. The record in these matches was seven wins and nine draws, with no single defeat.

However, little by little, everything returned to the course that could be considered 'normal' for Cruz Azul. After making it to the playoffs, they were quickly eliminated by América. Jémez left the team, and the current situation of the club is well known to everyone.

MAKE WAY FOR THE SWEEPER

In the distant year 2003, with Cruz Azul immersed in serious relegation problems, one of the most drastic measures ever seen in the history of the club was taken. The management decided to terminate the contracts of the entire squad as a punishment for poor results.

Guillermo Álvarez offered some terms for the players to receive compensation, but not all of them accepted. As a result, 11 players were fired, including Sebastián Abreú, Miguel Zepeda, Melvin Brown, Sergio Almaguer, and legends like Óscar Pérez and Juan Francisco Palencia.

In their first match with substitutes and academy players, La Máquina defeated Pumas 2-0 with a double from Juan Carlos Cacho.