Francisco Rodríguez Vílchez is Santos Laguna's new coach for the 2025 Apertura.

Club Santos Laguna announced the signing of Spaniard Francisco Rodríguez Vílchez as the new first-team coach. Rodríguez, a 46-year-old native of Almería , has extensive experience in Spanish football, highlighting his expertise in the First and Second Divisions.

He is known for his intense, vertical style of play, as well as his focus on developing and nurturing young talent.

Among his most notable achievements are remaining in LaLiga with UD Almería in the 2013-14 season and with Elche CF in the 2021-22 season, as well as reaching two consecutive promotion finals to the First Division with Girona FC in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

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His last position was at the helm of Rayo Vallecano in the top flight of Spanish football.

This appointment follows the resignation of Fernando “Tano” Ortiz , who left the position after a Clausura 2025 to forget.

Under his leadership, Santos Laguna finished last in the standings, earning just seven points from two wins, one draw, and 14 losses in 17 matches.

The only joys came with victories against Atlas (2-0) and León (2-1), in addition to a 1-1 draw against Mazatlán FC .

Ortiz faced multiple challenges during his tenure, including a limited roster and a lack of reinforcements, which created tensions with the board. He reportedly resigned twice before formalizing his departure in May 2025.

With the arrival of Rodríguez Vílchez , the Santos Laguna board is looking for a change of direction that will allow the team to regain its competitiveness in the Liga MX .

His experience in crisis situations and his focus on developing young talent will be key to meeting the challenges of the upcoming tournament.

With information from Santos Laguna

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