With the arrival of FEMSA, the Club adopted the values of the business group and focused on rebuilding the Institution administratively and in therms of sports, in order to restore its finances and get the team out of the risk of relegation. 

On the sporting front, Monterrey achieved its first goal on April 19, 2000, by guaranteeing its permanence in the First Division after winning 6-2 in an unforgettable match against super leader Toluca, who would later become the champion of that tournament.

After the return of Jesús “Cabrito” Arellano in January 2000, Brazilians Argemiro Veiga, Flavio Rogerio and Alessandro Correa, Venezuelan Juan Arango, and Mexicans Paulo César Chávez and Héctor “Pirata” Castro joined the team for the Winter 2000 and Summer 2001 tournaments.

Up front, coach Benito Floro opted for a young player from the youth academy, Antonio De Nigris, who until then was practically unknown.

De Nigris quickly responded to the coach's confidence, taking advantage of Arellano and Arango’s crosses to score goals in good numbers, which earned him a national spotlight and a call-up to the Mexican National Team.

 

 

In the summer of 2001, Rayados finished in third place overall, playing high-quality soccer and returned to the playoffs after 5 years of absence. It was clear that a period of success was in the making. 

In 2001, José González Ornelas was appointed chairman of the Club's Board of Directors, thus initiating a marked institutionalization of the Club’s processes. In December of that year, Jorge Urdiales was appointed executive president and Luis Miguel Salvador, sports vice president.

 

 

The first major signing of the new board was that of Argentine coach Daniel Alberto Passarella, a world soccer star, who arrived in the Apertura 2002 Tournament. 

Along with the “Kaiser”, Argentines Walter Erviti, Guillermo Franco and Pablo Rotchen also joined the team.

In his second tournament, Passarella brought in Luis Ernesto Pérez and  Brazilian Alex Fernandes, who filled in for Argemiro Veiga and Antonio De Nigris. 

The results came almost immediately. Rayados performed spectacularly in the 2003 Clausura, finishing in third place overall. 

In the playoffs, Monterrey eliminated Atlas in the Quarterfinals and Tigres in a memorable Semifinal.

In the Final, Rayados defeated Morelia 3-1 in the first leg played at the Estadio Tecnológico on June 11, 2003. 

Three days later, in Morelia, the aggregate score remained unchanged and Rayados managed to become league champion for the second time in their history.

The joy of the Rayados fans, which was breaking 17 years of drought, was indescribable. The city did not sleep, and the next day hundreds of thousands of people accompanied the team in a spectacular parade through the main streets of the city.

 

 

In the 2004 Apertura, Miguel Herrera became Monterrey’s  technical director. In that tournament, Guillermo Franco became the second goal-scoring champion in the Club's history, scoring 15 goals. During the playoffs, he scored 6 more. 

Rayados made it to the Final, although they were unable to defeat Pumas. A year later, in the 2005 Apertura, they also finished as runners-up, after losing to Toluca.

 

In the 2008 Clausura, Monterrey returned to the spotlight under the direction of Argentine coach Ricardo Antonio La Volpe and with a new star striker: Chilean Humberto Suazo.

The famous “Chupete” won the scoring championship in that tournament, scoring 13 scores. 

In the 2009 Clausura, the board hired strategist Víctor Manuel Vucetich, who brought as reinforcements such as Aldo De Nigris from Monterrey, Paraguayan Osvaldo Martínez and Ecuadorian Walter Ayovi.

 

 

The following season, the board further strengthened the team with the arrival of experienced players Duilio Davino and Sergio Santana.

Rayados finished fifth overall in the 2009 Apertura. Prior to the start of the playoffs, the Club and its fans suffered a devastating blow with the sudden death of former player and Monterrey idol Antonio De Nigris, who was only 31 years old. 

The squad was united around Aldo De Nigris, Toño's brother, and they offered a spectacular playoffs in which they did not lose a single game.

In the Quarterfinals, Monterrey eliminated America; in the Semifinal, they eliminated leader Toluca, and in the Final, they defeated Cruz Azul. 

The first leg against the Cementeros is one of the most memorable games in the history of Mexican soccer. Rayados were down 3-1 at halftime at the Tecnológico, but managed to turn it around 4-3 in the second half thanks to two goals from Suazo and one from Santana.

In the second leg, played on December 13, 2009 at Estadio Azul, Rayados won 2-1 with scores from Aldo De Nigris and Humberto Suazo.

Monterrey was champion for the third time in its history and began a golden era!