'Very high, seemingly impossible at the time' - Club America's Israel Reyes reflects on Andre Jardine's ambitions for club when he arrived

Israel Reyes is now in his fifth tournament with Club América — one more than head coach André Jardine, who arrived ahead of the Apertura 2023 after a stint with Atlético de San Luis. In Reyes’ first semester with Las Águilas, the team was eliminated in the Clausura 2023 semifinals under then-coach Fenando Ortiz.

Ortiz had led América to three straight semifinal appearances but was unable to deliver a title, despite managing one of the league’s most talented squads. That prompted the board to part ways with the Argentine and bring in Brazilian manager Jardine — and the rest is history: three consecutive Liga MX titles.

In an interview with El Universal, Reyes reflected on Jardine’s arrival and the culture shift he inspired.

“When he arrived, he gave us a short talk where he laid out his goals for us… They seemed unreachable at the time,” Reyes said. “Today, we’ve achieved them — and the biggest one was unity and humility.”

He added, “We had to build a family — and now, it’s more than that. The locker room has played a huge role in what we’ve accomplished… It’s all been worth it.”

André Jardine's era has become historic in Mexican football, as América became the first-ever three-time champion in the history of Liga MX's short tournaments. The Brazilian coach turned down offers from clubs in his home country to continue building his legacy with Las Águilas. In the Clausura 2025, América sit atop the standings, having already secured a place in the final phase as they aim for a fourth straight league title. The only thing that's eluded him is the Champions Cup, with another disappointing exit this season.

“We believed in André from the moment he arrived—in what he laid out for us, in his words, and the project he brought... It was something very appealing. He made it clear that this was the plan,” confessed the defender. “He told us that whoever was ready should join him. If not, then you don’t fit in, and you can step aside. We believed in his words and changed our mindset. He got fully involved and managed to control the egos,” concluded the América center back.

América and Cruz Azul will meet again following their Champions Cup clash, which Cruz Azul won, this Saturday in Matchday 15 of the Clausura 2025.