Guadalajara bid adios to coach Arias

Coach Raul Arias was sacked by popular Mexican club Guadalajara on Tuesday after three consecutive defeats and only seven matches in charge.

Arias, renowned as a pragmatic coach whose teams do not play attractive football, was brought in by club owner Jorge Vergara on September 16 to stem a run of poor results by the Chivas.

Guadalajara, one of Mexico's two most popular clubs with America, had taken five points from seven games when Arias took over from Francisco Ramirez, who resigned.

After taking 10 points from their next seven matches, they are in danger of missing out on the quarter-finals.

"Guadalajara sports club informs that from this date and by mutual agreement, Mr Raul Arias ceases to be the team's coach," the club said in a brief statement. The team will be under caretaker Jose Luis Real until a new appointment is made.

Arias began by steering the Chivas to three wins and a draw but he failed to win over the fans, who demand good football at Guadalajara, and Vergara said after Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Morelia that he was disappointed with their defensive game.

Guadalajara, who have only Mexican players on their books, still retain chances of reaching the next stage of the championship. They are at home to Indios of Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday before facing Atlas at the weekend in a key Group One match and finish the qualifying phase against Cruz Azul.

The outspoken Vergara, 54, vowed when he bought the club in 2002 to make them the best in the world but so far they have taken one title, the 2006 Apertura.