Former Chivas USA forward Francisco Palencia has been named Director of soccer for both Chivas de Guadalajara and Chivas USA, the Guadalajara club announced today. The 39-year-old Palencia will join the joint staff that includes Dennis te Kloese and Jose Luis Real, not to mention owners Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes.

Based on available information, it is unclear exactly what Palencia will be doing and how his job will be balanced between Guadalajara and Los Angeles. However, like te Kloese, Palencia does have a history with Chivas USA and MLS, as he played for the Goats 2005-06, scoring seven goals in that stretch. He also played for Chivas de Guadalajara prior to joining CUSA, and finished his career in Mexico with UNAM Pumas, where he won two league titles and retired as club captain in 2011.

Since ending his playing career, Paco has evidently been working towards a post-playing career in soccer, as he has obtained a coaching license in Mexico.

Again, we'll have to see what his input on Chivas USA will actually be moving forward, but it is nice to see one of the bright stars in the early years of Chivas USA return to the fold and have a hand in running the team. Congrats to Paco!

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