América's Coach Explains His Celebration and Clash With Brunetta

André Jardine addressed the controversy that followed América’s 3-1 win over Tigres at the Estadio Universitario. The Brazilian coach clarified that his celebration was not meant to provoke the home crowd but was simply gratitude to América’s fans. “I have come here a few times and had never seen América fans at the Volcán, it was always full of Tigres supporters. I was moved to see part of the stadium was ours,” he said after the match.

The situation escalated when Juan Brunetta confronted him, thinking the gesture was aimed at Tigres fans. Jardine insisted otherwise: “That was all. I pointed out to Brunetta that our fans were up there, the celebration was obviously with them.” He added: “My respect for Tigres is absolute. Even Juan Brunetta is a great player, someone I admire, and he will realize I was talking to our supporters.”

Beyond the incident, Jardine underlined the importance of the victory. “It is a win that I believe will be very important for us throughout this tournament. I imagine it will give us that dose of confidence we needed,” he stated, noting that beating the unbeaten league leader away from home felt like a playoff match.

He also praised his team’s mental strength and composure. “It is very good to see the team, even with the mental strength to come from behind, which usually complicates things when you play away. This made me very happy, to see the team calm, able to turn it around, without desperation, and in my view it was a fully deserved victory,” Jardine concluded.