DistantNews
Pachuca's Solari Slams Referees: 'It's Hard to Be Pachuca'
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Pachuca's Solari Slams Referees: 'It's Hard to Be Pachuca'

From El Universal · (18m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Pachuca concluded the Clausura 2026 regular season with two losses, but secured a top-four spot.
  • Coach Esteban Solari criticized the officiating, stating Pachuca has received no penalties in their favor and several against them.
  • Solari acknowledged the team needs to correct temperament errors as they prepare for the Liguilla (playoffs).

Pachuca's coach, Esteban Solari, voiced strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing after the team's final regular-season matches. Despite securing a top-four position, the recent losses have highlighted issues, particularly concerning officiating. Solari pointed out a perceived bias against Pachuca, noting the team has received zero penalties in their favor while facing several against them throughout the championship. He suggested that it's 'difficult to be Pachuca' due to this perceived lack of favorable calls.

Hay algo que nos viene pasando, a veces es muy fácil cobrar penales en contra de Pachuca... está difícil ser Pachuca. En este campeonato, llevamos cero penaltis a favor y varios en contra; no hemos sido nunca beneficiados, nunca estuvimos favorecidos por algún contacto pequeño

— Esteban SolariIn a press conference after the loss to Pumas, Solari criticized the officiating.

The coach also lamented how a red card early in the match against Pumas disrupted their game plan. While acknowledging the need for the team to be more measured and correct errors in temperament, Solari expressed pride in the team's identity, courage, and ability to fight back, especially in the second half against a strong opponent. He emphasized that securing a spot in the Liguilla and being among the top four were key objectives achieved.

Un partido que cambia con la expulsión a los seis minutos porque uno prepara el partido y una expulsión así cambia el diseño, [pero] hay ser conscientes de los errores

— Esteban SolariSolari commented on how a red card affected the game against Pumas.

From a Mexican football perspective, refereeing decisions are often a hot topic, and Solari's comments tap into a common sentiment among fans and clubs that certain teams receive preferential treatment. While Solari aims to correct the team's internal issues, his public criticism of the referees adds another layer to the narrative surrounding Pachuca's playoff run. The focus now shifts to the 'Fiesta Grande' (playoffs), where Pachuca hopes to overcome these challenges and contend for the championship.

Ahora, viene lo lindo, viene la Fiesta Grande, [vamos] a tratar de estar fuertes para lo que viene, conociendo nuestra falencias y tenemos que seguir potenciado nuestras virtudes

— Esteban SolariSolari discussed the team's preparation for the upcoming playoffs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog