Tough security measures were in put place Saturday when the Chivas faced America at the Omnilife Stadium a week after fans had been involved in a violent confrontation during a game with hometown rivals Atlas.
No disturbances marred this weekend’s game – the only disappointment for locals being the 0-4 defeat to America of Mexico City, another arch enemy.
Many fans left before the final whistle and Chivas owner Jorge Vergara was so upset that he fired coach Jose Luis Real two days later. He was replaced by 62-year-old Argentinean Jorge Lavolpe, who had a short, unsuccessful spell as Chvias coach in 1989. This is veteran Lavolpe’s 18th appointment as a manager – 14 of them have been with Mexican teams.
Chivas are in 10th place in the 18-team Liga Mx and in danger of missing the play-offs unless they can string together some good results. They have four games remaining in the regular season, two of them at home at the Omnilife: on Sunday, April 13, 5 p.m. against Morelia and on Sunday, April 27, 5 p.m. against Monterrey.
Guadalajara’s other Liga Mx team, Altas, are in 8th place in the league table with the same number of points as Chivas. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
The scuffle at the stadium led to fallout among some of the city's top police officials.
Mayor Ramiro Hernandez has fired three of Guadalajara’s most senior police officers following an investigation into the handling of the recent brawl between municipal cops and Chivas soccer fans at the Jalisco Stadium.
Municipal Security Secretary Carlos Mercado Casillas, Operations Inspector Alfredo Jiménez Sánchez and Operations Supervisor José de Jesús de Anda have left their desks after being asked for their resignations last week.
Twenty-one police officers were injured in the altercation during the Chivas and Atlas hometown “derby” on March 22. Police supervisors were immediately criticized for ordering only a handful of officers into a section of unruly fans – numbering around 3,000 – who were throwing flares at other supporters.
Mercado Casillas has been made a scapegoat even though he was not in the stadium for the game.