Football is a religion without sacred texts, but today it establishes firm dogmas: to believe is to suffer, to suffer is to speak out, and to speak out in 2025 means setting social media ablaze. Halfway through the semifinals, the country has already chosen its heroes and villains. And no, they don’t align with the overall standings or the betting odds.
MilenIA’s analysis reveals that, in the digital stands—that infinite stadium where tickets are always available—users have already decided who to crucify: first, coach André Jardine, then two forwards: Chicharito and Henry Martín. All three are heading into December with levels of disapproval that wouldn’t be wished on a politician during a campaign.
Jardine, with a 95 percent disapproval rating, leads the social media firestorm. The Brazilian is spared nothing: not his style, not his defeats, not his tactical explanations that sound like excuses. He’s the perfect villain for an América team that, even after being eliminated, continues to generate emotional storms. The fans have turned him into a symbol of decline: a coach with a sheikh’s budget who no longer convinces the supporters.
One step below him is another veteran of multiple battles: Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. In another country and another context, his name would be synonymous with respect; in digital Mexico, he’s an emotional trigger. Eight out of ten conversations about him are negative. Not for lack of merit, but because of the increasingly evident perception that he’s spent his last few months more in the marketing arena than on the field.
His return to Chivas fell far short of the promised epic and ended up triggering a strange combination of mockery, excessive demands, and premature sadness. At the end of his career, he became a trending topic disguised as a football funeral. Henry Martín sails very close to those stormy waters. The América striker carries a 70 percent disapproval rating, which seems disproportionate for a player who, on other teams, would be treated less harshly. But being an América fan means living under constant scrutiny: neither yesterday’s goals, nor his leadership, nor his commitment can mask the moments when the fans demand he live up to the badge. In the digital age, injuries are an excuse for not scoring goals. And we want goals.
Here, nobody hates in silence. Much less during the playoffs, when every through ball is a thesis, every lost ball sparks a conspiracy theory, and every coach can be a real jerk.
