‘Chicharito is being dragged down' - Chivas legend Ramón Ramírez blames club's 'negative inertia' for Javier Hernández’s struggles

Although Javier Hernández’s second stint with Chivas hasn’t gone as fans, the board, or the player himself would have hoped, club legend Ramón Ramírez has come to his defense, saying the striker has been dragged down by the team’s poor form.

“We all wanted to see him (Javier Hernández) finish his career on a high note,” Ramírez told TUDN. “He’s a successful player, with all the credentials and a great attitude. Unfortunately, he’s caught up in the dynamics of a team that rarely wins and is suffering because of it, so ‘Chicharito’ is being dragged down in that sense.”

Ramírez, a key figure for Chivas in the 1990s, pointed out that the team’s overall struggles have directly impacted Hernández, who has scored just three goals in 33 appearances.

“Regardless of what’s happening in Guadalajara and how his career ends, I won’t take away the merits he’s earned, but I would have loved to see him in a winning, proactive Chivas - succeeding and achieving important things. He’s not exactly a victim, but he’s definitely being dragged along by the negative inertia surrounding Guadalajara.”

While Club América is enjoying a golden era in its Liga MX history after winning three consecutive league titles, Chivas still lives in the shadow of its last championship, which came eight years ago in the Clausura 2017, when Matías Almeyda was the team’s head coach.

El Rebaño has lost its standing in Mexican football and has struggled to find an identity and playing model that can bring them back to the top. Ramírez, a club legend, expressed his frustration over the state of the team, which remains second on the all-time list of Liga MX title winners with 12 - though they’ve fallen behind their archrival, América, who now boast 16.

“Yes, it hurts that your biggest rival is doing things right,” said Ramírez. “Chivas should commit to playing one or two tournaments with young players and really withstand the blows if results don’t come. Right now, with no promotion or relegation, you have that opportunity... Guadalajara needs to be a contender.”

"Guadalajara has to do things right, and they should be hurt by what América is doing. That's what we’d like to see from Chivas. For many years, I saw instability in América, but today they’re setting the example... Right now, head-to-head, Chivas can’t compete," Ramírez said.

With two matches left to play in the Clausura 2025, the team coached by Gerardo Espinoza risk missing out on the Liguilla once again. El Rebaño must take all three points when they host Puebla in Matchday 16 to keep their hopes alive and avoid another disappointing campaign.