Atlas already has a new head coach for the 2026 Apertura tournament. Following Diego Cocca’s surprise departure just days before the start of the championship, the Rojinegro board reached an agreement with Argentine Hernán Crespo, who will be in charge of leading Grupo PRODI’s new sports project.
The former Argentina national team forward will be making his coaching debut in Mexican football. Crespo joins an Atlas team that has already begun its run in the 2026 Apertura and will be tasked with implementing his philosophy as soon as possible, with a squad facing high expectations following the signings made for the new season.
Crespo’s coaching career began with Parma’s U-19 team in Italy, after which he went on to coach Modena. He later returned to Argentina, where he took the reins at Banfield and subsequently at Defensa y Justicia, the club with which he won the Copa Sudamericana—the first international title in the club’s history.
His next challenge came with São Paulo, where he won the Campeonato Paulista before continuing his career in the Middle East. In Qatar, he managed Al-Duhail, a team with which he won three titles, while in the United Arab Emirates, he led Al-Ain to victory in the 2023–2024 AFC Champions League.
The Argentine coach’s most recent stint was a second spell with São Paulo, from June 2025 to March 2026. During that period, he managed 46 matches, recording 22 wins, six draws, and 18 losses.
Now, Crespo will seek to restore Atlas to prominence in Liga MX. The club is confident that the Argentine coach can build a team with a distinct playing style and turn the investment made by Grupo PRODI into a squad capable of competing for the top spots in the league.
According to sources close to the club, Hernán Crespo will sign a two-year contract, meaning he would remain at the helm of the red-and-black team through 2028. His official debut as Atlas’s head coach will come on Matchday 2 of the 2026 Apertura, when the Zorros visit Santos at Estadio Corona.
