Argentina coach Diego Cocca presenting himself as the new coach of Mexico team José Méndez (EFE)
The Diego Cocca era has begun in the Mexican team, a symbol of the current crisis in Mexican football. The 50-year-old Argentine will lead the Mexican team for the 2026 cycle, the most important in more than 35 years as the country will host the World Cup alongside the United States and Canada. “That I have the opportunity to help from this place [como técnico nacional] It’s a privilege, it’s an opportunity he shouldn’t let go of,” Cocca commented in his presentation this Friday. “I want to have players wearing the national shirt, singing the anthem and feeling proud and privileged,” he added.
Cocca’s hiring bordered on embarrassment by the Mexican Football Association. The institution, through its newly formed Mexico national team committee, had a list of five candidates including Miguel Piojo Herrera, Jaime Lozano, Marcelo Bielsa and Guillermo Almada. They took their time, officials say, because they set themselves a deadline of 60 days to analyze the chain of errors that led to Mexico’s elimination in the group stage of the World Cup by Tata Martino. The “in-depth” report ended with the coach’s choice in two weeks after the name of Diego Cocca, two-time champion in Mexico, won over the small group of owners running Mexican football. “We came to different conclusions [sobre Cocca]: He is an intelligent leader with values. He knew how to lead the groups, has leadership qualities and proven experience,” commented Jaime Ordiales, sporting director of the Mexican team, at a conference absent FMF President Yon de Luisa.
With haste came chaos. The executive president of the national teams, Rodrigo Ares de Parga, met with Cocca and convinced him of his project. They shared this with Tigres, the club run by the Argentine and he couldn’t resist. However, the ways of the Federation did not please the royal team. This Tuesday, the Tigres board announced the sacking of Cocca, assuring that he needs “dedicated people” and went ahead of the Federation to announce that he has already been appointed coach.
“I believe in the Mexican soccer player. Talent is not enough, you have to accompany him, give him tools. My goal is to discover Mexican talent, bring them to eye level and turn them into a winning team. To where? There is no upper limit,” commented the new coach. “Diego is a hardworking man who knows Mexican football, is a great strategist and has great group management. From March we will have results”, Ares de Parga started.
Cocca began his coaching career in Argentina’s second division with the Children’s Activities Commission (CAI). He managed first division clubs like Godoy Cruz, Gimnasia, Huracán, Defensa y Justicia, Rosario Central and Racing de Avellaneda, a club he championed in 2014 after a 13-year drought. His first club abroad was Santos Laguna but things didn’t go well for him. He was also with Millionaires of Colombia, then Tijuana, and then Atlas, where he arrived in the year of the pandemic. The Argentine won the unexpected: the league with the team that was the big loser for seven decades: Atlas. He won a historic two-time championship with the red-blacks.
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