Rafael Lebrija Confirms Benjamin Galindo as FC Atlas Coach Amid Further Changes

The director of FC Atlas, Rafael Lebrija, has confirmed Benjamin Galindo as coach of the team.

The purpose is to prepare for future games and avoid a demotion for Atlas. The next reason is to see if Atlas could pull a miracle and rise in the Mexican League.

Lebrija admitted during an interview with Notimex that his first choice was Jose Luis Sanchez Sola. He also admitted to having conversations with Sanchez concerning the position.

In the end, Lebrija concluded that it was better to stay with someone familiar instead of experimenting outside of the Mexican League tournaments.

Lebrija announced during the interview that he will appeal the decision of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) Disciplinary Commission to ban two Atlas games.

The ban by the FMF Disciplinary Commission was in response to an incident in the Atlas vs Tigres game. During the game, Atlas and Tigres supporters were involved in a scuffle with the security agents.

Lebrija also announced that Michael Ortega will no longer play at Atlas. Ortega had announced that he will be playing for his native Colombia in future games in 2011.

Lebrija is not the only person supporting Galindo. Gregorio Torres is a defensive player who supports maintaining Benjamin Galindo in his post, based on the need for continuity for a team that is in crisis.

Atlas is in sixth place in the 2010 Mexican Bicentennial Tournament Group Two with 13 points. The club was witness to a change in guard at the beginning of the season, due to increased losses and changes of coaches.

Whether this latest change by Lebrija helps Atlas remains to be seen.