One of the most historic and decorated teams in Mexican soccer history; Club Deportivo Guadalajara. or 'Chivas' as the team is known by, is well integrated into the relegation battle... even if the club doesn't want to realize it.

HOW DID THEY GET HERE?

It is safe to say that Chivas has had a horrendous past 18-24 months which is why they are in the relegation troubles that they are in at the moment. And it all starts with the lack of stability from its leader/s. Owner Jorge Vergara and his wife Angelica Fuentes have made one rash decision after another in their attempts to steady the ship in Chivas, and it has all been counter productive.

Since Jorge Vergara took ownership of the team back in 2004 the entrepreneur has adopted a seesaw attitude while running the business part of the franchise while delegating the responsibility of success to someone who knows about the sport. He has had great football minds as club presidents, sporting directors, and head coaches/managers. But whenever things get a little tough Vergara swoops right in and fires anyone and everyone (except players), and bring in new people to replace them.

One of the best things Vergara has ever done with Chivas was to convince world football legend Johan Cruyff to lead his club. The former Barcelona great appointed fellow Dutchman John Van't Schip as the team manager.

Van't Schip only coached the team for one season which was the Apertura 2012, the last decent season Chivas had. Days before the start of the Clausura 2013 tournament, Van't Schip was let go from Chivas along with Johan Cruyff.

Since then Chivas has seen 5 different managers in 3 1/2 semester long tournaments.

THEY'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

Chivas is one of the most (if not the most) historic teams in Mexico. They are among the 10 original founding clubs of professional soccer in Mexico and have never played in the second division. But that doesn't mean they haven't come close before.

The closest the Guadalajara giants have gotten to the drop was in 1981-82. They finished the season in last place with 22 points after 38 games played. They did manage to avoid the drop through the Relegation playoff system that was in place in that era.

HOW DOES THE RELEGATION SYSTEM WORK IN MEXICO?

Chivas' latest season results that are taken into account in the relegation battle Chivas right now has a total of 81 points in 76 matches and a 1.0658 % percentage, only slightly better than Puebla FC and the two most recently promoted teams Veracruz and Leones Negros.

The Liga MX has a complex system in place that is meant to protect the big teams from an off season... or two. The system also makes it extremely difficult for the recently promoted sides to stay in first division.

At the end of every Clausura season the team with the lowest percentage of points in the last three years (six of the semester long seasons are taken into account) is dropped to the Ascenso MX. Big teams are allowed to have a couple of slow seasons and still be able to stay away from the relegation zone based on past successes.

The recently promoted sides have to battle this system since they will have fewer matches to go into their percentage. Every win and every loss dramatically improves or hinders their chances.

WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE?

Chivas of Guadalajara have two safety nets for this relegation battle. The first one and the strongest is Leones Negros. The Guadalajara University side is participating in the first division for the first time in 20 years, and they are having a difficult time so far. If Chivas' neighbors continue to struggle they will avoid the drop this season. The other safety net is Veracruz. They too have a percentage that fluctuates greatly with every win or loss and that club could go either way. A downward spiral from the Southern port side will also benefit Chivas.

But the historic Guadalajara side can not count on other teams falling short. That might save them from the Clausura 2015 relegation, but after that? For the next relegation race they will lose that strong season they had under Van't Schip where they finished in 8th place with 23 points.

A middle to long term project needs to be in place now at Chivas in order to get out of any future relegation battles. Ownership will need to have the patience to see out the project, and continue investing in talent capable of taking them away from further danger.

Jorge Vergara has had a reputation of closing his wallet as soon as managers make a player request.

Due to the dire situation, the team has recently spent a lot of money in panic buys such as veteran players like Carlos Salcido, Fernando Arce and striker Aldo De Nigris.

What Chivas do need to avoid is panic decisions on players and managers, short term/quick fixes is what got Chivas in the mess they are currently in. Those types of decisions will only sink them further.

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