'Brazil or Argentina, he would be a god' - Former Chivas player Bofo Bautista defends ‘Chicharito’ after stretch of just three goals in 32 games

Javier "Chicharito" Hernández has been under criticism since his return to Chivas, as his performances have fallen short of expectations. With just three goals in 32 matches since rejoining the club - and only one in nine games this Clausura 2025 - many fans and analysts question whether the 35-year-old striker still has what it takes to contribute at a high level.

Bofo Bautista, a Chivas legend, came to the defense of the former Real Madrid striker: "If Hugo Sánchez, Rafa Márquez, and 'Chicharito' had been born in Argentina or Brazil, they would be gods," he told TUDN. "But here, we have this tendency not to appreciate what a player has achieved. It's the ego of many Mexicans."

Chicharito returned to Chivas as a hero after his time in MLS. The forward was presented in front of a packed Estadio Akron. Indeed, the star who had gone on to succeed at Manchester United and Real Madrid had returned to a team in desperate need of idols, one that hasn’t won a Liga MX title since 2017.

In recent years, El Rebaño has watched from afar as its archrival, América, filled its trophy cabinet. Las Águilas have won four Liga MX titles since Chivas last claimed their championship. The club's management placed their trust in Javier Hernández, and for the Clausura 2025, they brought in Alan Pulido, another club idol.

However, between the two forwards, they’ve combined for just three goals in 13 matches in this season's Clausura.

"They were going to discard Chicharito, but with his mentality - although some said he wasn’t technically good - he wanted to learn, he wanted to surround himself with people who knew the game," Bautista said. "Nowadays, players just train for an hour and a half and leave. But being a professional is a 24-hour commitment. It's about training, then asking yourself, ‘What else can I do?’

"Eating well, working on technique in the afternoon, studying what needs improvement. Most footballers don’t do that; they think their job is just two or three hours a day, and that’s it."

Bautista shared an anecdote about Chicharito, who was nearly discarded by Chivas due to a coach’s decision:

"I saw Chicharito when he was just starting out. There’s an anecdote - at the beginning, a coach didn’t want him anymore. They told him to focus on his studies, and he started crying. I was there, and I told him, ‘Keep working,’ and he stayed with the mindset of proving himself.

"I used to stay after training with Omar Bravo and Venado Medina to practice finishing, and he would stay too because he wanted to grow and learn. He had the mentality of someone who truly wanted it. He kept working on his finishing, his ball control, little by little. Then, he got lucky when ‘Güero’ Real became the coach, and he started scoring goals. That’s when he got the chance to go to Manchester United, and they sold him."

Gerardo Espinoza's team visits Rayados this Saturday on Matchday 14 of the Clausura 2025, in desperate need of points to stay in the play-In race.

El Rebaño will be looking to end a four-game winless streak across all competitions. Additionally, they have only lost one of their last five encounters against La Pandilla.