'Chivas didn’t let me go' - Cruz Azul defender Jesús Orozco reflects on missed opportunity to go to Europe from Guadalajara

Jesús Orozco, 23, is considered one of the most promising defenders in Mexican football. However, before joining Cruz Azul for the Clausura 2025, the player and Chivas were involved in a dispute after the defender expressed that he no longer felt comfortable at the club and wanted to leave as soon as possible. Despite his wishes, the Guadalajara side didn’t let him go easily.

“I felt like I had already given everything, I felt I needed a change, and that’s when Cruz Azul, Tigres, and Rayados came into the picture. So I said, ‘I want Cruz Azul.’ At first, Chivas didn’t let me leave. It was a negotiation, a whole drama that dragged on because Chivas didn’t want to let me go,” said Orozco - known as Chiquete - on El RePortero podcast, hosted by former Cruz Azul goalkeeper Yosgart Gutiérrez.

“I really liked Cruz Azul’s sporting project. When I played against them, I thought, ‘Damn, they play really well.’ The coach [Anselmi], everything around it… and when you talk to Iván Alonso, you realize why Cruz Azul is doing things right. It was mainly because of the sporting project, and also because of our president—he’s a great guy [Víctor Velázquez],” Orozco said.

Orozco is looking to establish himself both in Liga MX and with the national team. However, he revealed that he was close to fulfilling his dream of playing in Europe with Belgium’s Anderlecht, but Chivas blocked the move. “It was almost a done deal. Chivas didn’t let me go - they wanted the release clause paid in a single payment, which no European club ever does,” he said. “There were also talks with teams in Italy. Salernitana wanted me on loan, and my agent didn’t want to tell me, but Torino also showed interest.”

Jesús Orozco's transfer to Cruz Azul in January 2025 for approximately $11 million marked a significant milestone in Chivas' history, becoming the club's most expensive sale of a homegrown defender. This transfer surpassed that of fellow defender Carlos Salcedo, who was sold to Eintracht Frankfurt for $5 million in 2018. Orozco now ranks just behind Rodolfo Pizarro, whose $14 million move to Monterrey in 2018 remains one of the most lucrative transfers in Chivas' history.

Cruz Azul face an important clash this Saturday when they host Pumas on Matchday 14 of the Clausura 2025. At Pumas’ request, the match will be played at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla. Since Pumas agreed to let Cruz Azul use their stadium as a home venue this season, they asked for the game to be moved out of respect for their fans - wanting to avoid the unusual situation of having their supporters in the stands of the opposing team while being listed as the away side.

Under Vicente Sánchez, Cruz Azul currently sits in sixth place with 25 points, and a win tonight would bring them closer to the top spots in the table as they aim to qualify for the final phase and fight for the title.