Club America parted ways with head coach Miguel Herrera on Monday morning after the club crashed out of the Liga MX playoffs against bitter rival Chivas and then fell to LAFC in the semifinal of the CONCACAF Champions League on Saturday.
Herrera was in his second spell in charge and had reached the semifinals in every season since the 2017 Apertura, including winning the 2018 Apertura, but recent performances and results cost the former Mexico manager.
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"We thank [Herrera] for his commitment and his dedication," read a statement from Club America. "However, the results obtained on the sporting side and attitudes on the pitch didn't meet the grandeur of the institution, or the hopes of the club owners and even less so the fans."
America's statement added that the club will work on a five-year plan to achieve strategic objectives and that the interview process for a new head coach has already begun.
Herrera did endure a plethora of injury problems within his squad this season and was involved in a well-publicized friction with star Colombian forward Roger Martinez, but he guided Las Aguilas to a third-place finish in the regular season.
In the postseason, however, America badly underperformed, losing 1-0 and then 2-1 to Chivas in the quarterfinals, putting pressure on Herrera's position.
Herrera's team then failed to advance to the CONCACAF Champions League final, despite America being 1-0 up at half-time against a LAFC side down to 10 players. Herrera was also involved in a spat with LAFC assistant coach Ante Razov at half-time, leading to some ugly scenes, and resulting in his sending off.
Wherever Herrera next coaches, he will be suspended for four CONCACAF cklub matches for the spat with Razov, and an additional match for using a walkie-talkie to communicate with his bench afterward.
Herrera was Mexico men's national team coach at the 2014 World Cup, but was fired after winning the Gold Cup in 2015 after he threw a punch at a journalist.
Nicknamed "Piojo," Herrera is unlikely to be short of offers in coming months. The former Monterrey manager is regularly linked with jobs in MLS and was even mentioned as a candidate for the Colombia national team position.