Martinoli Urges Chivas to Reconsider Foreign Player Restrictions

Ciudad de México, México — Christian Martinoli, a prominent sports commentator, has called for Chivas, one of Mexico’s oldest soccer clubs, to rethink its longstanding policy of fielding only Mexican players. His remarks follow Chivas’ recent 4-0 defeat against América in the Concacaf Champions Cup on March 12, 2025.

This loss marks the latest in a string of disappointing performances for Chivas, where América has scored four goals against them in three different matchups since 2023. To date, these include a 2-4 loss in Clausura 2023, a 4-0 defeat in Apertura 2024, and the recent Concacaf match.

In total, Chivas has only managed to score once in their last six matchups against América, with that solitary goal coming from an own goal by Sebastián Cáceres. Martinoli expressed his discontent with Chivas’ current strategy, emphasizing that relying solely on Mexican talent has kept them mid-table, far from competitive glory.

“The management must reconsider what they truly want,” Martinoli stated during the show Los Protagonistas. “It’s time for Chivas Nation to conduct a cold analysis. Under this competitive model, where foreign players are not utilized, it’s unlikely they can continue competing effectively.”

Highlighting that it is not necessary for Chivas to field a full squad of seven foreign players, as seen in some other teams like Toluca, Martinoli pointed out that even the inclusion of three foreign players could be sufficient. “If you don’t recognize that your own culture and traditions are working against you, then you risk falling further behind,” he warned.

He drew comparisons with the Athletic Club de Bilbao, which has maintained a tradition of only using Basque players. “That club celebrated winning the Copa del Rey 40 years later but is not competing with the likes of Real Madrid or FC Barcelona,” he added. “If Guadalajara wants to be champions every 10 to 15 years, that’s acceptable. But if they wish to contend each year, they need to rethink their situation.”

Martinoli’s comments come at a critical time for Chivas as they seek to reclaim their status as a leader in Mexican soccer. Their next steps could determine the club’s direction for future competitions and their ability to attract talent.