Cruz Azul accepts $3.5 million and ends its relationship with Anselmi.

From the editorial staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, May 10, 2025, p. a11

Cruz Azul closed the bittersweet chapter it experienced with coach Martín Anselmi, albeit at a lower cost than expected. La Máquina agreed to a $3.5 million deal with Porto of Portugal to settle the Argentine manager's buyout clause. Anselmi abruptly left the club at the start of the 2025 Clausura tournament to manage the European club.

Porto has reached an agreement with Cruz Azul for the signing of coach Martín Anselmi and the rest of the coaching staff for a total of $3.5 million, ending the controversy surrounding the transfer process , the Portuguese club said in a statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

While the deal closes that gap, Cruz Azul had to give up a significant amount compared to what they were asking for. The buyout clause was valued at five million dollars, so the Celestes had to give up $1.5 million.

He avoided a long lawsuit

Reports indicated that the Dragons proposed paying the full clause over two years, but the club's board agreed to receive only 85 percent of the total amount immediately to close the case. This way, they avoided the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearings, the body before which Cruz Azul had filed an appeal.

This decision by the club was based on the declaration of financial insolvency of one of the parties involved in our lawsuit for breach of contract, and in light of the legal tactics to extend the resolution of the matter to a period of 3-4 years , the Celestes indicated.

Anselmi took over as La Máquina coach at the beginning of the 2024 Clausura tournament after signing a contract that ran until 2027. The Argentine established a positive connection with the fans by leading the club to a final; however, his time with the team ended controversially.

The manager left the team in January of this year after receiving an offer to manage Porto. His performance with the Portuguese side has been questioned, as in the 16 matches he has managed so far, he has only managed eight wins, four draws, and the same number of losses.