Diego Lainez criticizes Leagues Cup format: "There is a disadvantage"

Tigres forward Diego Lainez has joined the growing list of players openly expressing their dissatisfaction with the structure of the Leagues Cup. Despite his club benefiting from playing at their home stadium, the Mexican attacker was blunt about his disagreement with how the binational tournament is organized.

Speaking ahead of Tigres' match against Vancouver Whitecaps, Lainez addressed the issue of home-field advantage, acknowledging that the tournament structure creates an uneven playing field.

There is a disadvantage, we are not going to deny it. Playing at home with your people is different. We have seen it in the recent results in the Concachampions or the teams that have come to play here in this Leagues Cup. We always take advantage of everything to compete. Diego Lainez

Despite his concerns, Lainez noted that the perceived lack of fairness does not curb his ambition. He remains focused on using the support of the "El Volcán" crowd to secure a win against a serious Vancouver side.

Beyond the pitch, the tournament brings a personal milestone for Lainez, as he is now sharing a dressing room with his brother, Mauro Lainez. Having spent most of their careers on separate paths since Diego left home at 14, the siblings are now teammates again. Diego described this reunion as a dream come true, noting that having family so close provides him with extra motivation to put in the work for Tigres.