A Season of Turnover
The 2026-II Liga BetPlay season has devolved into a revolving door for technical leadership.
The Cúcuta Trigger and Early Cascades
The instability ignited on August 9 when Richard Páez exited Cúcuta Deportivo after a defeat to Fortaleza left the club anchored to the bottom of the relegation standings. The response was clinical: seven days later, Argentine coach Nicolás Chiesa assumed the role.
The tremor spread quickly. Deportivo Pasto jettisoned Jonathan Risueño after a five-game losing streak, installing a staff led by René Rosero and Wilson Morelo. Simultaneously, Alianza FC cut ties with Camilo Ayala following a lopsided loss to Atlético Nacional in the eighth round, clearing the way for Flabio Torres to take the helm.
High-Stakes Departures at Powerhouses
The mandate for success spared no one, not even the league’s most decorated names. On August 31, Junior de Barranquilla dismissed Alfredo Arias. Despite Arias having delivered back-to-back league titles, a slide in form and a stuttering start to the campaign rendered his record insufficient. Sebastián Viera was the choice to stabilize the bench.
Millonarios delivered perhaps the season’s most jarring maneuver by firing Fabián Bustos. The club sat in fifth place, yet leadership demanded a change, citing dissatisfaction with the team’s style of play. The move arrived just 24 hours before the high-profile Bogota derby. Alberto Gamero was immediately tapped to lead, beginning his second tenure with the club.
Round Twelve’s Triple Exit
By the twelfth round, the volatility reached a fever pitch with three managers dismissed in quick succession. Hernán Darío Herrera departed Once Caldas following a loss to Bucaramanga, abruptly ending a project of almost three years. Jaguares followed, parting ways with Hubert Bodhert as the team languished at the bottom of the table.
The streak concluded with Tolima, which parted ways with Sebastián Oliveros. Despite the squad holding seventh place, the board identified a lack of tactical consistency as the catalyst for the change. Luis Fernando Suárez was appointed to replace him, tasked with correcting the team’s trajectory.
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