In 1996, Tigres hired the Chilean international forward Claudio Núñez and after several years of ups and downs the team won their second domestic cup defeating Atlas by 2–1 but were relegated to Primera División A, now Ascenso MX, because of negative results of past seasons. Note that the Mexican League uses a percentage-based relegation system, in which the team with the worst performance percentage by year (instead of the worst team in the season) is relegated. Under the command of Victor Manuel Vucetich, the team qualified to play-offs in 1996 but because of the relegation they were unable to compete. After some negotiations, the administration of the team was given for ten years to Sinergia Deportiva, a trust-holder run by CEMEX. In 1997, after two consecutive Primera División A championships, the team returned to the Primera División. In 1998, Tigres hired international striker Luis Hernández.
