Cruyff fired as adviser to Mexican soccer club

Johan Cruyff was a three-time Ballon d'Or winner in the 1970s.

Hector Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Dutch soccer great Johan Cruyff has been fired as an adviser to the Mexican club Chivas.

The dismissal Sunday came nine months after Cruyff was hired to help turn around the slumping Guadalajara team. Chivas reached the recent first-division playoffs but was knocked out in the first round.

Cruyff is a former coach of Barcelona. He said at the time of his hiring by Chivas that he had a three-year contract as a part-time adviser. He urged patience and said he was not interested in coaching the club.

Chivas has won 11 league titles, more than any Mexican club, but has struggled in recent seasons. Owner Jorge Vergera has been searching for ways to fill the club's new stadium and generate fan enthusiasm.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.