Joel Huiqui Takes Charge of Cruz Azul for 4-1 Win

Joel Huiqui took charge of Cruz Azul after Víctor Velázquez dismissed Nicolás Larcamón, and the move immediately altered the club's path into the Liguilla. Huiqui is now handling the first team for the rest of the season, including the postseason, for the first time in his career.

The first response was a 4-1 win over Necaxa. That result came after Cruz Azul had gone nine matches without a victory, a stretch that included six league matches and three Concacaf Champions Cup games.

Huiqui and Cruz Azul's Reset

Huiqui had already been on Cruz Azul's bench when Ricardo Ferretti was head coach, and he later worked as an assistant to Vicente Sánchez in the run to the club's seventh Concacaf star. This assignment is different: he is now the man steering the first team.

The timing leaves him with little margin for error. Cruz Azul had just drawn 0-0 with Querétaro in jornada 16, and the team was coming off elimination from the semifinals of Liga MX and the Copa Intercontinental in 2025 before the change at the top.

Velázquez Moves on Larcamón

Velázquez's decision to dismiss Larcamón came with Cruz Azul still framed as one of the strongest teams in the season and a contender for the Liga MX title. The club also received recognition as the team that earned the most points in the 2025/26 season for the second consecutive year, which sharpens the pressure on any coach in charge.

That backdrop explains why the promotion of Huiqui matters beyond one result. He inherits a team with recent trophies in its recent memory, but also a run of poor league and continental form that had to be stopped quickly before the Liguilla could fully take shape.

Necaxa and the Liguilla Push

The 4-1 win over Necaxa gave Cruz Azul an immediate lift under its new interim coach. It also gave Huiqui a first test in a role he has never held before, with the remainder of the season now tied to how quickly he can settle the first team and carry that response into the Liguilla.