From losing the final with Cruz Azul to being left out of the Champions League
Efraín Juárez suffered his first setback as head of Gyori ETO when he failed to win the first phase of the UEFA Champions League
Efraín Juárez's debut on the old continent suffered an immediate halt. The Mexican strategist did not manage to overcome the initial qualifying phase in the UEFA Champions League after the fall of his squad, Győri ETO. The Hungarian club said goodbye to the competition with a 3-2 aggregate score against Víkingur Reykjavík of Iceland.
A painful comeback that vanished
The Hungarian team faced the return match with the obligation to overcome the 1-0 conceded in the first leg. Despite the pressure to go on the attack in front of their own audience, the situation turned uphill in the 34th minute when the Icelandic representative broke the zero on the board.
The technical director's proposal seemed to be responded to quickly with a furious reaction before half-time, but they did not achieve their goal, because at half-time they did not take the necessary steps to change the final destiny of the match.
However, the mood collapsed at the beginning of the second half. A defensive inattention allowed the visit to tie, declaring the final 2-2. Despite the change windows used from the bench, the Juárez team did not find the clarity to move the nets again.
Juárez's recent stage has been full of ups and downs since his departure from Mexican football. The following video analysis explains the factors that influenced its technical management:
Next stop: Conference League preliminary rounds
Although Europe's top club competition closed its doors, Juárez's continental campaign remains alive. Győri ETO was transferred to the Champions Route of the UEFA Conference League, where it will seek its place in the regular phase. Their direct opponent will come out of the eliminatory bracket played between Klaksvík of the Faroe Islands and Atert Bissen of Luxembourg.
The challenge of shaking off the runners-up
Juárez will seek stability in Central Europe and leave behind the streak of complicated closures. It is worth remembering that the helmsman arrived in Hungary after leaving the UNAM Pumas in the Liga MX, an institution that he took to play in the Clausura 2026 final, which they lost agonizingly against Cruz Azul. His current challenge is to replicate the football consistency he previously demonstrated at Colombia's Atlético Nacional, mitigating the volatility of his sporting results.