Cuauhtemoc Blanco to leave Chicago Fire for Mexico

Oct 29, 10:12 pm EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP)—Mexico star Cuauhtemoc Blanco will leave the Chicago Fire and return home to rejoin second-division Veracruz.

In a statement on his Web site, Blanco said Thursday he will start playing again for Veracruz in January.

“We respect his desire to continue playing in Mexico during the MLS offseason and continue preparing for the 2010 World Cup, which is a top priority for him,” Fire technical director Frank Klopas said in a statement. “We will continue our dialogue with his agent regarding Blanco playing for the Fire in the second half of the 2010 season and beyond.”

The 36-year-old forward last played for Veracruz in 2004.

“I had a great experience in the MLS, where they treated me very well, but at this stage of my career there were some clubs from the Mexican league that wanted me to come home,” Blanco said on his Web site. “I will start a new stage in Veracruz, a place where I used to play and I promised to come back.”

Klopas said Blanco “remains focused” on winning the MLS Cup this year and is still “a valuable member” of the team.

Updated Oct 29, 10:12 pm EDT
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22 Comments

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  1. Gilmore Tuttle
    22. Posted by Gilmore Tuttle Mon Nov 2 12:15am EST

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    The second division of the Mexican league will be much easier for Blanco than the MLS. This is typical of Blanco's work ethic.... second rate!
  2. Chris
    21. Posted by Chris Sun Nov 1 7:59pm EST

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    blanco has been superb in the MLS, a true professional, way better than beckham. he always put his team first and broke his tail for the fire. he worked hard and taught his team how to play football. i will miss him and i wish him all the luck in the world in his future endeavors.
  3. Michael V
    20. Posted by Michael V Sun Nov 1 1:57pm EST

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    Blanco has been realy good in MLS
  4. Tyrael H
    19. Posted by Tyrael H Sun Nov 1 4:10am EST

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    I'll miss him. Along with Beckham, Blanco really helped raise the profile of the MLS. For selfish reasons I wanted him to stay(the more good athletes in the US, the better, I feel) but I won't begrudge him going back home.

    I agree with the people who say that we need to lure a lot of our own guys back home, too. Convey came back because injuries were forcing him to the bench overseas. In time Beasley should wake up and realize he needs to do the same. Freddy, Edu, whoever else...the league can make them stronger and their presence can make the league stronger. Try to make it happen, MLS.
  5. <i>rolando1609</i>
    18. Posted by rolando1609 Sat Oct 31 8:39pm EDT

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    i think that mexico wouldnt be nothing if blanco wouldnt come back becouse when he came back to play for mex and they started winning the secong half of the season cuz they werent winning in the qualifying cup they mostly lost first half of the season
  6. Eric
    17. Posted by Eric Sat Oct 31 2:08pm EDT

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    All u idiots are haters and stupid for adding race in this thats wats wrong with this @#$%in country cause of @#$%in idiots like u but then i hear that he sucks and all this load of crap but if u look his first year in the mls he got most votes for best player in the mls beating david beckham and donovan so yet all u @#$%in idiots get your @#$% str8 then talk @#$% cause this guys way better then any @#$%in player on the mls
  7. Sharpshooter
    16. Posted by Sharpshooter Sat Oct 31 10:34am EDT

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    Also the fact that he is going to a "second division" team speaks volumes of the guy. Humbleness and greatness, combined, are very rare in this day and age.
  8. bom
    15. Posted by bom Fri Oct 30 2:09pm EDT

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    "he sucked than he sucks now"*
  9. bom
    14. Posted by bom Fri Oct 30 2:08pm EDT

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    Samson "he sucked THAN he sucked now" wtf seriously? dUMB@SS Stop being a hater.
  10. Samson
    13. Posted by Samson Fri Oct 30 1:33pm EDT

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    paul...u have a point...BUT...once MLS starts paying its players decent wages than they will stick around, Altidore and Adu make 10 times as much as the average player. Some of these guys get paid a 1000K a month!!!!
  11. paul
    12. Posted by paul Fri Oct 30 12:56pm EDT

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    Once the EGO ladden American players who NEED A EURO CONTRACT and who sit on the bench or in the non-18 dressing wake up and face reality (Freddie, Maurice Edu & Gooch to name a few of the tens +) come back to the MLS , they will also find it a tougher place to start and do well...

    The fact that so many Americans sit in Europe and then "get the call" to come and START for the USMNT is a joke...you would think Bradley can line up enough talent of guys playing regularly so it could give the team a CHANCE rather than the highly likely of THREE IN AND THREE HOME with his crew of Euro-bench-sitters-turned-into-national-team-starters-who-are-cones.
    WAKE UP AMERICA.
  12. RSL Fan
    11. Posted by RSL Fan Fri Oct 30 11:14am EDT

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    Another, washed up, mexican player going home! DARN!
  13. J
    10. Posted by J Fri Oct 30 9:58am EDT

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    i'm sad to say i never got to see him in his prime. The Blanco I saw spent most of his time on the ground, rolling, and begging the refs for calls. This is in Fire and Tri games. Best of luck to him.
  14. Christian M
    9. Posted by Christian M Fri Oct 30 5:19am EDT

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    He's going to play for a second division team in the season prior to the WC. It seems that he wants to concentrate in his fitness for the WC and playing for Veracruz would be free from distractions (ok maybe not totally free, but a lot less than had he would have played for, say, America). Cuau knows that this is it as far as the national team. I also see him transferring to America after the WC to finish off his career.
  15. Omar
    8. Posted by Omar Fri Oct 30 2:33am EDT

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    7

    best year?..
    are you serious...

    he was at his best when he beat brasil for the confederations cup in like 1999 i believe...
    you must be too young to remember that..

    this cant possibly be his best year...

    yeah hes good with the @#$%y concacaf teams.. (aside from USA)
    but hes not gonna be able to keep up (physically) with the type of teams there will be in the world cup.. the key to mexico's success is their youngsters..
  16. Diego
    7. Posted by Diego Fri Oct 30 12:30am EDT

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    Cuao has been the best player from Mexico for many years and i think he is having his best year playing for Chicago and the Mexican National team , i think he is going back to Mexico to get some rest and be closer to the national Team because of The World Cup comming up , he will have his best games at the World Cup , I wish He would go back to Club America, instead of a second division Team .
  17. str8J
    6. Posted by str8J Fri Oct 30 12:22am EDT

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    He's a superstar, He's on the cover of FIFA 10, he's a regular on our All star team. He'll be missed. But, honestly, maybe now, the Fire can concentrate on getting themselves a big xfer. Maybe try to convince some our younger players to come back to the MLS (ADU, EDU, GOOCH)
  18. str8J
    5. Posted by str8J Fri Oct 30 12:19am EDT

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    He's a superstar, He's on the cover of FIFA 10, he's a regular on our All star team. He'll be missed. But, honestly, maybe now, the Fire can concentrate on getting themselves a big xfer. Maybe try to convince some our younger players to come back to the MLS (ADU, EDU, GOOCH)
  19. David
    4. Posted by David Thu Oct 29 11:46pm EDT

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    Nah, its simply th yeat he has Nats team intentions, don't be surprised if he is back to MLS after next year's WC.
  20. My childhood playground, Durango Mexico
    3. Posted by My childhood playground, Durango Mexico Thu Oct 29 10:04pm EDT

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    I don't think is the language barrier. He likes Chicago because fans don't harrass him as they do in Mexico where they don't let him breath. His businesses, friends and family are all in Mexico City. He is not a young guy anymore, he probably wants to go back to family and friends. His personal life has been sort of like Dennis Rodman's (except that Cuahutemoc has never kissed a guy hehehe). Blanco was always a Mexican version of Rodman-Iverson. He could have been greater than Hugo Sanchez but fame, stubbornness and indiscipline got the best of him in his early years. I think he is more focused now at 36 than he was at 24.
  21. Sharpshooter
    2. Posted by Sharpshooter Thu Oct 29 9:38pm EDT

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    Have the filling he is having a very difficult time adjusting to the american way of life. His english is NOT good and this is a very important factor when trying to learn about other cultures. He is a great footballer though and we wish him the best . Buena suerte Cuau!!!, and thank you for an excellent performance in this country.
  22. Sharpshooter
    1. Posted by Sharpshooter Thu Oct 29 9:38pm EDT

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    Have the filling he is having a very difficult time adjusting to the american way of life. His english is NOT good and this is a very important factor when trying to learn about other cultures. He is a great footballer though and we wish him the best . Buena suerte Cuau!!!, and thank you for an excellent performance in this country.
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