via AssociatedPress

Guadalajara hasn’t won in 13 matches, and the spiral of poor results has prompted one of Mexico’s most famous football brands to call for outside assistance in the shape of former Dutch great Johan Cruyff.

Chivas was humiliated 3-0 by Velez Sarsfield of Argentina on Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores, meaning the club has failed to win a match in four months and forcing new coach Ignacio Ambriz to simply say that “faith is needed.”

Chivas said Thursday it would be taking several key steps to stop the rot.

Chivas de Guadalajara announced that former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff was joining the club as an advisor. He will be formally introduced on Saturday.

“Welcome Johan Cruyff to the Chivas family,” the club said on its website.

More on Johan Cruyff joining Chivas de Guadalajara in an Advisory Role after the Jump…….

Cruyff, 64, is regarded as one of the game’s greatest player. He retired in 1984 and went on to coach Ajax and Barcelona. He led Barcelona in 1992 to its first Champions League title. Sporting director Rafe ael Ortega says new players may have to be signed in the off-season, a change of course for a club that has tried for several seasons to win with young, unproven talent.

“The team is down from what is expected, but I still have faith,” said Ambriz, who replaced Fernando Quirarte as coach several weeks ago. “Although they are young players, they know what it means to wear the Chivas shirt and I have faith we are going to move forward.”

It will not be easy for the most successful club in Mexico football history.

In the Clausura tournament — the second half of Mexico’s split season — Chivas has only two points from seven matches. Ten league games remain and they are all likely to be difficult.

Chivas must play Santos and defending champions UANL Tigres, which share the league lead this season. There is also a showdown with archrival America and a derby match against city rival Atlas.

“Our finishing has not been good,” Ambriz said. “We have created some chances, but we have not followed through in attack. We can’t do anything but keep working.”

Club owner Jorge Vergara and his wife Angelica Fuentes, who serves as executive president, have been criticized for failing to spend money on talented players. Vergara owns the Omnilife company, which sells health supplements throughout the Americas and in Spain.

Man Utd 1 – 2 Ajax : Scoring Summary

Manchester United: Javier Hernández (6′)
Ajax Amsterdam: Aras Özbiliz (37′)
Ajax Amsterdam: Toby Alderweireld (87′)

A less than impressive Manchester United found its way into a Europa League last-16 meeting with Athletic Bilbao after a 2-1 defeat by Ajax at Old Trafford. After a quick start on an early goal from Chicharito, Sir Alex’s squad held on to advance 3-2 on the aggregate.

Check out the highlights after the jump…..

Berbartov plays a nice ball into Hernandez on the edge of the box, who takes his time as he cuts inside and fires low into the bottom corner past Vermeer with ease putting United up early and by two in the aggregate.

Javier Hernández (6′)

Highlights after the jump…..

Ashley Young giving Manchester United the 1 – 0 lead in the 59th minute before Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez made it 2 – 0 in the 85th minute on the road against Ajax.

Check out the Ajax vs Manchester United Highlights after the Jump……..

Chicharito making it 2 – 0 in favor of Manchester United in the 85th minute on the road against Ajax.

Check out Chicharito’s Goal vs Ajax after the Jump……….

Ashley Young giving Manchester United the 1 – 0 lead in the 59th minute on the road against Ajax in the Europa League.

Check out Ashley Young’s Goal vs Ajax after the Jump…….

via Guardian

via FIFA

Ajax technical director Danny Blind and the club’s board resigned today following the row over the blocked appointment of Louis van Gaal as general manager of the Dutch footballing giants.

Ajax legend Johan Cruyff last week won his legal battle to prevent the appointment of Van Gaal which had been made by the club’s Council of Commissioners without consulting him – although he is one of the five board members.

“I have a clear vision of Ajax’s future and Van Gaal’s arrival is part of that,” said Blind. “Now that his arrival is no longer the case I can’t and don’t want to continue.”

More on Ajax’s Technical Director/Board Resigning over Louis van Gaal’s Blocked Appointment after the Jump……

Both Van Gaal and Cruyff are former Ajax coaches and have clashed in the past. Cruyff took legal action to block his countryman’s appointment and was backed by 15 coaches from the club’s training centre.

Cruyff, 64, had restructured the club in recent years by giving more power to former plays such as Blind, Frank De Boer and Dennis Bergkamp, who are coaches, with Wim Jonk responsible for training.

“The coaches from the training centre are all former club players. I’ve always been 200 per-cent behind this project and I maintain that it’s very important for the club,” said Cruyff, who feared that Van Gaal would dismantle his work.

Van Gaal, 60, had been due to work alongside Blind and commercial director Martin Sturkenboom as part of a new leadership structure at the home of the four-time European champions. The former Bayern Munich coach managed Ajax between 1991 and 1997, notably leading them to the Champions League title in 1995, and was sporting director from 2003 to 2004.