Chivas USA head coach José Luis Sánchez Solá will be getting some help as he looks to revive the Los Angeles-based club.
On Wednesday, former MLS player Juan Francisco Palencia was hired to serve as director of soccer for both Chivas Guadalajara and Chivas USA. Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes own both clubs.
Palencia joins another ex-Chivas USA man, Dennis te Kloese, at the helm of the teams. Te Kloese was appointed sporting director for both Chivas teams in December 2012.
A former player for both Chivas Guadalajara and Chivas USA, Palencia spent two seasons with Chivas USA in 2005 and 2006, featuring in 32 matches and scoring seven goals. He is also a two-time World Cup veteran for Mexico with extensive experience in the Mexican league and a season in European soccer with Spanish side Espanyol. He retired in 2011.
"For Club Deportivo Guadalajara, it is with great pride that we can bring in a soccer man who has always distinguished himself for his professionalism and passion," said a statement from the club. "And we give him the most cordial of welcomes, wishing him success in this new chapter of his sporting career."
The official press release also indicated that Palencia earned his coaching license from the ENDIT school in Mexico City.
His formal presentation will take place next Wednesday, March 27, in Guadalajara. Both the Liga MX and MLS Chivas franchises will collide on Wednesday night in a friendly in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
