San Lorenzo Fires Sport Manager Guillermo Franco Amid Crisis

San Lorenzo Dismisses Sports Manager Guillermo Franco Amid Deepening Crisis

San Lorenzo has dismissed sports manager Guillermo Franco following a difficult run of results in the Argentine Primera División, according to reports. The club’s board identified Franco as a necessary change to realign the football department as the team struggles under coach Rubén Darío Insua. The departure of Franco occurs within a very difficult footballing context for the club, as internal questioning regarding his figure had existed for some time and a lack of connection with Insua ultimately sealed his fate.

Board Identifies Franco as Change Necessary to Turn Around Form

While club officials acknowledged that restructuring does not guarantee immediate results, they pursued the move to organize the chain of command and provide Insua with a more stable working environment.

Clubs Emits Official Statement on Mutual Agreement

San Lorenzo announced the departure through an official club statement, framing the exit as a decision made of common accord between the parties after evaluating the football project’s progress over recent months. The club thanked Franco for his time, commitment, and dedication while wishing him success in future endeavors.

San Lorenzo Faces Relegation Pressure After Poor Results

In the Clausura tournament’s Zona A, San Lorenzo sits in tenth place with 11 points through 11 fixtures, managing only three wins, two draws, and six defeats. The squad enters the upcoming fixtures on a three-match winless run. The situation in the annual aggregate table creates even greater concern, as the club occupies the 20th position with 33 points, a standing that raises immediate alarm regarding the relegation averages table, commonly known as los promedios.

Player Legacy Gives Way to Front-Office Exit

Franco, born in Corrientes in 1976, holds a deep historical connection to San Lorenzo after making his professional debut with the club in 1996 under manager Héctor Veira. During his playing career in Boedo, he made 127 appearances, scored 28 goals, and lifted both the Clausura 2001 and Copa Mercosur 2001 titles. His playing career later flourished abroad, most notably in Mexico with Monterrey—where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer, netted 65 goals across 119 matches, won the Clausura 2003 Liga MX title with a goal in the final, and earned a Balón de Oro as the league’s best player that same year. His performances took him to Manuel Pellegrini’s Villarreal, then to West Ham, and back to Argentina to claim the Clausura 2011 championship with Vélez. He retired in 2013 following stints with Pachuca and MLS side Chicago Fire. A naturalized Mexican citizen who played two World Cups with the Tricolor, he trained as a technical director after retiring, working for six years in university football at the Tecnológico de Monterrey and coaching youth teams at Rayados in Monterrey before his return to San Lorenzo as manager ended poorly.