Cruz Azul head coach Pedro Caixinha has agreed to part ways with the club, bringing the Portuguese manager’s 18-month stint in the Liga MX to an end, a club statement confirmed on Monday.
Cruz Azul are 11th in Liga MX having tied 1-1 against Chivas at home on Saturday. Caixinha had indicated after the match that he was already planning for upcoming games, including the Leagues Cup final in Las Vegas against Tigres on Sept. 18.
The club will now be look for a new manager in the international break, with La Maquina’s next league game against away against struggling Veracruz on Sept. 13.
Former Rangers boss Caixinha took over Cruz Azul — who are without a Liga MX title since 1997– in December 2017 and led the team to the 2018 Apertura Copa MX, as well as the Liga MX final in the same season, losing to Mexico City rival Club America.
Cruz Azul finished the 2019 Clausura regular season in fourth position, but lost again to America in the quarterfinals.
The club has won two of its eight matches at the start of the Apertura, although it has only lost twice and sits two points off the playoff spots.
Argentine Antonio Mohamed is one of the early candidates to take over from Caixinha, who won the 2015 Clausura title with Santos Laguna.
Caixinha is the fourth manager to leave a Liga MX club over the early weeks of the Apertura.