Efrain Juarez wonβt be managing against former club Celtic in the Champions League play-off after being eliminated at the first hurdle with ETO FC Gyori.
After being linked with a move to Celtic this summer, Juarez took his first European role with the Hungarian champions, who stunned Robbie Keaneβs Ferencvaros by winning the title last season.
Ferencvaros responded by poaching Gyor manager Bartasz Borbely, creating the vacancy for Juarez.
In a nightmare start for the Mexican, Gyor have been knocked out after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Icelandic minnows Vikingur.
Defeat for Celtic in Portugal! π¨π€π
What did you make of that Celtic fans? Comment belowβ¦π
Efrain Juarez eliminated from Champions League with ETO FC Gyori after defeat to Vikingur
The first round of Champions League qualifiers conclude this week, and in Tuesdayβs run of games, Gyor had to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg against the Icelandic side.
After falling behind, they turned it around to lead 2-1 at the break, but an equaliser from ex-Everton and Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson was enough to send the visitors through.
READ MORE: Shin Yamada reflects on βdifficult situationβ at Celtic upon OH Leuven move
The result has been met with much ridicule in Mexico, after Juarez left national giants Pumas to embark on his first European role.
Vikingur will now face Hapoel Beβer Sheva in the next round, whilst Gyor now face three difficult Europa League qualifiers if they are to make Europeβs second-tier competition.
Two more rounds are still to be played before the final play-off round, at which Celtic will enter in mid-August.
Martin OβNeill will be well-aware of the banana skin that this tie is after Brendan Rodgersβ Celts suffered a desperately poor exit against Kairat Almaty last year.
After unverified reports from Mexico said that Juarez had held talks with Celtic, he emerged in his new role in Hungary following talks with Mallorca and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Keane, on the other hand, remains without a job after a week ofΒ talks with Parkhead majority shareholder Dermot Desmond still saw him miss out on the Parkhead hotseat to OβNeill.
π A new loan for Shin.
Instead of selling, Celtic opt to keep him on the booksβ¦
Efrain Juarez on Celtic links
Speaking to the Mexican media last year, Juarez said that there was interest in his services from Celtic.
He said: βObviously, there has been interest from other clubs. In every sense, that, for me, is not distracting.
βI think we know perfectly well that the club is aware of the situation, because I also played there (at Celtic). And itβs not easy for a young Mexican coach to be involved in that type of club.
βFor me, they obviously see and think that maybe weβre doing a good job. In that respect, Iβm calm.β
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