Rayados de Monterrey announced the departure of Martín Demichelis as head coach Sunday after their Clausura 2025 title hopes were dashed in a dramatic quarterfinal elimination at the hands of Toluca.

Despite entering the second leg with a 3-2 advantage, the northern side fell 2-1 at Estadio Nemesio Diez, resulting in a 4-4 aggregate draw. Toluca advanced due to their superior position in the regular-season standings, having finished as league leaders.

The early playoff exit had intensified scrutiny on Demichelis. Tensions were fueled by a public dispute with star midfielder Sergio Canales and growing speculation about his future. After the defeat on Saturday night, the Argentine manager expressed deep disappointment.

"I'm very sorry. We played a great first leg in Monterrey - it could’ve been 4-1, but we only got a minimal lead,” said Demichelis. “This is incredibly painful for the fans and for the club. We had ambitions for much more. I want to stay, but that decision is not in my hands - it’s up to the board."

The former River Plate boss insisted his team didn’t play poorly in the second leg and attributed their elimination partly to bad luck. He highlighted a key missed chance in the dying moments that could’ve changed the outcome.

“If Guzmán had scored in that last play, everything would be different. That’s football,” he said.

With this, the Argentine bids farewell to Rayados after overseeing 43 matches, in which he recorded 20 wins, 11 draws, and 12 losses. This season will be remembered for several disappointments, including a Round of 16 exit in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a seventh-place finish in the Clausura 2025 standings, and a quarterfinal elimination in the Liguilla.

Rayados must turn their focus to the upcoming Club World Cup, as sporting director José Antonio Noriega begins the search for a new head coach.

Drawn into Group E alongside River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, and Inter Milan, Monterrey will kick off their tournament campaign on June 17 against the Italian side.