Cesar Hernandez Jun 19, 2023 1:29pm ET4 minute read
Gomez slams ’embarrassing’ anti-gay chants during USMNT game vs Mexico
Herculez Gomez speaks after the referee ended the USMNT v Mexico game early for anti-gay chants.
The Football Federation of Mexico (FMF) officially fired Diego Cocca as coach of the men’s senior team on Monday after finishing third in the Concacaf Nations League. Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano will step in as interim coach in his place.
Cocca, hired in February and dismissed with a 3-3-1 record, underperformed last week after Mexico lost 3-0 to USA and Panama 1-0 in the Nations League defeated and subsequently secured third place game.
“In the last week I’ve noticed a lot of shortcomings,” FMF Commissioner President Juan Carlos Rodriguez said in a video on Monday.
“A game against the United States can be lost, there is always a risk because this is football and victory can go one way or the other. What cannot be accepted is the way it happened,” he said.
“This phase was flawed by the disarray of decision-making, the lack of process, rigor and transparency in appointments, and an outright storm of bad habits that we have carried around for so many years.”
“Of course it would be to wait for the end of the Gold Cup, but today we have no time to lose. Therefore, I inform you that I have made the decision to terminate the contract of Diego Martin Cocca and the members of his coaching staff,” said Rodriguez.
He later added that Rodrigo Ares de Parga would also be axed as national team manager.
The sacking of Cocca and Ares de Parga adds to the list of ongoing changes at FMF since last year.
In the last 11 months, Mexico has made the following changes, and only at the men’s level: the dismissal of General Sport Director Gerardo Torrado and Sport Director of the National Teams Ignacio Hierro; the hiring and eventual dismissal of Jaime Ordiales as sporting director for men’s national teams; the departure of men’s coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino; the hiring and firing of Ares de Parga as managing director of the national teams; the hiring of Duilio Davino as sporting director of the men’s national teams; the hiring and dismissal of Cocca as the new men’s coach; the resignation of former FMF President Yon de Luisa and the election of Rodriguez as the new FMF President.
A recent FMF reshuffle last week saw Rodriguez move to commission president, while Ivar Sisniega was given the role of executive president.
After finishing third in Sunday’s Nations League, Cocca seemed to offer a hint about his future after declaring in a post-game press conference that “there are a lot of people who want me to go.”
When asked, the coach gave no details.
Before leading Mexico in his first international job, the 51-year-old Argentine made his name by winning back-to-back Liga MX championships with Atlas in the 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura.
Within Liga MX he also coached clubs Tijuana and Tigres, where he left after just a few months as coach to take up the role at Mexico in February.
The former defender also previously managed teams in Argentina and Colombia.
Following his signing by Mexico, Cocca replaced his compatriot Martino, who retired from Mexico last year after his contract expired.
He coached El Tri until their disappointing elimination in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
At the upcoming Gold Cup, Lozano will lead Mexico as an interim in group stage games against Honduras (June 25), Haiti (June 29) and Qatar (July 2).
Mexico announced on Sunday that Chivas forward Alexis Vega will be unavailable for the tournament due to a knee injury.
Lozano, 44, led the El Tri Tokyo 2020 Olympic team to a bronze medal.
In Liga MX he had experience managing Queretaro and Necaxa.