The Argentine Diego Cocca will be the coach of Mexico on the way to the 2026 World Cup, as revealed on Thursday by the president of the Tigres UANL, Mauricio Culebro, who anticipated the announcement of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF).
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“There has been communication with the people of the federation and the National Teams Committee. They expressed their interest in interviewing Diego. At that time we spoke with Diego and he said he wanted to be part of the interviews. On Monday we received a call from that Diego had been chosen as the technical director of the national team,” said Culebro.
The conference was initiated by the feline manager with the notice that the employment relationship between Cocca and the Tigers was ending because the team from the north of the country “will always be first.”
Just five days in Tigres
Cocca became coach of the Tigres in this Clausura 2023 Mexican football tournament, however his management lasted only five days, in which he left the cats in third place in the standings with three wins and two draws.
The Argentine will replace his compatriot Gerardo Martino on the Mexico bench, who left office after El Tri was eliminated in the first phase of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
“He had always had the illusion of leading a team, in this case the Mexican team because he says he owes a lot to Mexican soccer,” Culebro responded when asked about what he spoke with the now ex-feline coach.
Favorite in recent days
In recent days, Diego Cocca has become the surprise candidate to be the coach of Mexico since since Martino’s departure, the names of the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, the Uruguayan Guillermo Almada and the Mexicans Miguel Herrera and Ignacio Ambriz have emerged in the local press.
It was not until this week that Cocca appeared in the Mexican media as the top executive contender for Martino’s position.
his trajectory
Born in Buenos Aires 50 years ago, he arrives in El Tri with a record that includes a two-time championship with Atlas in the 2021-2022 season and an Argentine football title in 2014 with Racing Club.
The Argentine began his coaching career in 2007, after retiring as a player, and the clubs he has managed include Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, Huracán, Defensa y Justicia, Rosario Central and Racing Club from his country.
In Mexico, Cocca has managed Santos, Tijuana, Atlas and Tigres. The coach’s debut with the Mexican national team will take place in March, when El Tri will face Suriname and Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League.
