Santiago Muñoz on the impact of Santos Laguna's philosophy: 'This club is unparalleled'

Santiago Muñoz embarks on a new chapter with Liga MX’s Santos Laguna, after returning from an 18-month loan spell with Newcastle United. 

He’s no stranger to the Torreon team, first sporting the white and green jersey at the age of 14. Muñoz worked to climb academy ranks, becoming familiar with the ‘winning by serving is the only option’ motto before making his senior team debut as a substitute on October 25, 2020 in a Liga MX match against Atletico San Luis. 

The forward quickly stood out, recording three goals and three assists to lead Santos Laguna to the Apertura final and inspire a move to Newcastle United. 

He joined the English team in August 2021, signing an initial loan deal with the option to purchase. Muñoz made his first-team debut weeks after arriving, in a pre-season friendly over Athletic Bilbao at St. James’ Park. But his involvement under Eddie Howe quickly dwindled, as injuries impacted his season. Consequently, he spent the majority of his time with the Under 23 team before Newcastle rejected the option for a permanent transfer. 

But, regardless of the outcome, Muñoz does not regret the loan. 

“There was a lot of talk for 18 months, some people agreed with the move, many people disagreed. But for me personally, it helped me a lot. I take it as a lesson, something very positive for me and now I have to apply it with Santos. I realized what I am capable of doing at that moment and of course I don't regret anything, far from it,” Muñoz said exclusively to 90min. 

Muñoz looks back fondly at the experience, crediting Santos Laguna for preparing him for the challenges that lie abroad.

“The philosophy that the club has is unparalleled. For me, no one else has the mentality that Santos has, and I don’t say that because I have been here since I was 14 years old, or because it is my club. I’ve visited some other clubs, I have teammates from other clubs, and there is nothing like it,” he said with a smile. 

“I left here at the age of 19 to fulfill a dream in those 18 months in Europe, but without a doubt I was trained here from the age of 14 to get to that point. They prepared me, they taught me certain values. They instilled in me, and they gave me everything so that I could go to Europe alone for 18 months and be able to achieve that objective. 

“I think that this is something that I will always be grateful for. That foundation I have, and others at this club have from working in the academy to the senior team. We always do everything to be able to help others. Here we will win by serving, a clear objective all players have present.”

Muñoz is now working towards earning a regular spot in the starting 11 under head coach Eduardo Fentanes, in a bid to prove himself on the field once again to “give back” to the club and fans for their support.

He saw his first start on March 31, in the 0-0 draw against Necaxa at the Estadio Victoria. Despite the result, the player described the experience as “emotionally significant.”

“It was an immense joy to return to be able to start a game with Santos Laguna," he continued. "I was able to feel, once again, that incredible sensation of nerves and excitement while sporting the jersey of my love. I’ve been here since I was 14, so to be back feels like a return to home.”

Moving forward, the objective for Muñoz is clear: inspiring Santos Laguna to success. 

“The goal is to get as far as we can. Right now, we are focused on this closing of the tournament, it will be a good opportunity for us to face these rivals to enter the last part of the tournament in better shape. I don't like to lose and I always want to win in whatever I do. I want to lift the trophy with Santos Laguna. I want to make history and of course, get as many minutes as possible to do great things here and help the institution reach great moments," Muñoz concluded.

Santos currently sit in 11th place on the Liga MX table, on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. The team must earn positive results in the last four games of the tournament to reach the postseason.