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Soccer-Former Mexico boss favourite to lead ailing Guadalajara

MEXICO CITY, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The international break this week looks like a good time for ailing Guadalajara to regroup after yet another defeat, 1-0 at home to Atlas in Sunday's city derby. The Chivas are without a coach, Argentine Carlos Bustos having resigned last week, but have welcomed back Nestor de la Torre as sporting director who held the position from 2002-2009. De la Torre's brother, former Mexico coach Juan Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre, was coach when Guadalajara last won the title, a record 11th, in 2006 and is favourite to return to take charge of the Chivas team. "Our first choice is to find a national (Mexican) coach, to be announced during the week, and Chepo is one of the options," De la Torre said. Guadalajara, with 10 points from 11 matches, are in danger of relegation for the first time. They are four from bottom in the relegation table determined by teams' average points over the last three seasons during which they have picked up 82 points from 78 matches. "It's a difficult situation," interim coach Ramon Morales said after Sunday's loss at the Omnilife. "We're in a situation of relegation, we can't hide from that and we've got to get the team out of it." If Guadalajara finish bottom of that table at the end of the Clausura, second of two championships in the season, in May they will be relegated for the first time. Atlas climbed to second two points behind leaders America with 24 points from 12 matches. America were pinned back in a 4-0 mauling on Saturday by Cruz Azul, whose victory lifted them into the top eight who qualify for the knockout rounds after the 17-match league phase. Cruz Azul have 16 points, one more than Ronaldinho's ninth-placed Queretaro, beaten 2-1 at home by title holders Leon on Friday. The other teams in the top eight are Monterrey, who have 23 points and a game in hand, Toluca (22), UANL Tigres (20), Pachuca (19) and Santos Laguna (17). (Reporting by Carlos Calvo; Writing by Rex Gowar; editing by Justin Palmer)