Club World Cup: Pachuca coach Guillermo Almada resigns, club demands buyout

Pachuca coach Guillermo Almada submitted his resignation on Thursday, three weeks before the Club World Cup. However, the Liga MX team has yet to accept it.

In a statement, Pachuca said the Uruguayan coach is under contract until 2026 and requires him or any other team to pay a buyout clause for early termination.

“Guillermo has an existing contract with this institution until December 2026. This contract establishes a possible early termination of his professional relationship with our team, at the time the agreed buyout clause is paid,” stated the club in a press release.

Sources told ESPN Mexico that Almada is the leading candidate to become Cruz Azul’s next coach, pending the finalization of Vicente Sánchez’s exit from that club.

If the resignation is accepted, the next team that signs Almada would not need to pay the clause.

In Almada’s place, Gabriel Caballero is currently slated to be interim for Pachuca ahead of group stage matches against Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and RB Salzburg this summer.

Almada’s decision marks another setback for Pachuca’s ownership that recently disputed the removal of Grupo Pachuca’s second team at the Club World Cup, Leon. Earlier in May, the Court of Arbitration of Sport confirmed a decision by FIFA that removed Leon from the summer tournament due to multi-ownership rules.

The case was settled five months after León was initially allowed by FIFA to enter the Club World Cup alongside sister club Pachuca.