Mexican football continues to move off the pitch, and now one of the names returning to the spotlight is Gonzalo Pineda, who is set to become the new sporting director of Santos Laguna in a move aimed at changing the club's direction. The Santos board expects to make his arrival official in the coming hours, showing their bet on a profile with game knowledge to rebuild the sporting project. This appointment comes at a complicated time for the institution, which has had an irregular tournament and recently made significant changes to its organizational structure. Pineda's arrival also marks a change in his professional career path. Pineda will be responsible for changing a project that has lost prominence in recent tournaments, with the mission of returning a competitive identity to a club that has historically been a protagonist in Mexican football. In recent history, Santos Laguna has bet on different profiles in sporting and technical direction without achieving long-term stability. Gonzalo Pineda would be the new sporting director of Santos Laguna following Braulio Rodríguez's departure. His experience in both Mexico and the United States was one of the factors that weighed in the board's decision. This move comes after a recent shake-up at Santos Laguna, following the departure of the technical staff and the previous sporting director amid poor results in the Clausura 2026, where the team even occupied the bottom positions in the table. Now, with the arrival of Gonzalo Pineda, the institution hopes to start a new era with a more integral vision, betting on a slow, young approach and strategic decisions. After his time on the bench, where he coached in MLS with Atlanta United and later in Liga MX with Atlas, the Mexican will now take on a directorial role, focusing on sports planning, signings, and team development. He comes to take on the entire project and is expected to be presented before the match against America. The challenge will not be easy.
