El Nacional is on the verge of appointing a new interim coaching staff amid a significant institutional and sporting crisis. Edmundo ‘Manicero’ Méndez, a former player from the club and part of the successful 1990s generation, is set to take on the role of head coach, while Gustavo ‘Potro’ Figueroa, a notable forward with prior experience at clubs like Barcelona SC and Emelec, would serve as his assistant. The news regarding this coaching change has not yet been officially confirmed by the club. The information regarding the potential appointments was shared by journalist Pepe Mera from Radio Redonda, highlighting that these changes are likely to follow the departure of the Argentine coach Juan Grabowski. Grabowski, who joined the club in January 2026, reportedly left before even coaching a game, stemming from a failure to reach agreements with the club’s directive and investor group NEF. Prior to this potential appointment, ‘Manicero’ Méndez was managing the Under-17 team, while ‘Potro’ Figueroa had been working with the Under-15 squad. The departure of Grabowski creates an urgent need for a new coaching strategy at El Nacional, which has been struggling on multiple fronts, and the internal development paths of these two former players could bring familiarity and potentially rejuvenate the team's current state.