José Antonio García, former director of the Mexican national team and one of the strong men of the process in the Aztec national team in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, as well as in Korea and Japan 2002, acknowledged in a telephone conversation with The opinionthat after Jaime Lozano failed his professional exam with the failure in the Copa America 20024, the best option At this time he is an experienced technician with extensive experience like Javier Aguirre.
“I think that choosing Javier Aguirre is the best decision that the directors can make at this time. For me, he is the best option. He has experience and I think that after having battled with foreign coaches who have not left any legacy, I think he is the best option.”
Do you think that the national team’s seat is too hot and that national coaches lose their bearings at the last minute, as in the case of Javier Aguirre, who in the two World Cups he managed, had to leave through the back door?
I do not agree that he left through the back door. He went through to the next round, which is what “Tata” Martino did not do, even though they kept him for four years and, in addition, they did not criticize “Tata” Martino as much, since he did leave through the back door. In the end, Javier Aguirre qualified the Mexican team for the next round on both occasions and we must remember that he took it at a time when it was about to not qualify for the World Cup.
Now it would be better if it were a Mexican coach, and it would be better if it were Aguirre, who will probably be playing his last World Cup. Because Jaime Lozano had his professional exam and found the challenge to be too great, although he might be a great coach in the future, but he must go through a process and he showed that he was still green.
At this point, he added: “That’s why I ask, what is the best option? You tell me. I don’t understand why they put in a foreigner who is in Liga MX, when there is Javier Aguirre, who is also free, after being a successful coach with Mallorca, who kept it in the First Division, with a regular team and having taken it to a final.”
That’s why I think that’s what’s required, the experience, the concept, he has charisma and he’ll want to retire with a bang, because I imagine that it will be his last World Cup, he’ll want to retire with an important achievement in a World Cup in our country and there’s no time to speculate, there’s no time to bring in a foreigner from abroad, because it takes time for them to adapt and get to know Mexican soccer, that’s why I have no doubt that Aguirre is the best option.
So will the third time be the charm for Javier Aguirre?
For the “Vasco”, for Mexico and for all of us who are immersed in football, after having hit rock bottom in Qatar 2022, after having made a fool of ourselves in the Copa América 2024, I think it is the best option.
With your experience as a manager, what advice would you give to “Vasco” Aguirre if he takes over the national team?
I believe that in the end the “Vasco” will have common sense and logic in calling up the best players he can, because in any case we know in advance that there is not much material to cut, that with the decisions of not promoting and relegating and with so many foreigners the list of Mexican players has been cut down.
For that reason and in addition to that, you bring in a coach who did not know how to plan tactically. I think that right now the ideal is Javier Aguirre, surrounded by experienced people in his coaching staff like Argentina, which is world champion and Copa America champion, where it has 4 or 5 coaches around it like Walter Samuel, Roberto Ayala, Javier Mascherano and Pablo Aimar.
So why can’t Mexico, with Javier Aguirre, have a Luis Fernando Tena, a Miguel Herrera, a Ricardo LaVolpe, a Miguel Herrera? Or why should we bring in a Rafael Márquez to prepare for the next World Cup? That’s what has to be done.
Because now everyone says, he didn’t do it, he couldn’t, of course for him it was a good experience, he was there, he was about to do it and the ideal thing is for Javier Aguirre to arrive at this moment and put things in order in every sense.
Do you like what the managers are doing??
I think that after removing Diego Cocca, which was a good decision, the logical thing was to have Jimmy Lozano as the firefighter. He started well, won a Gold Cup, but his professional exam was the Copa America and he failed it, so they are doing well in removing him because the results are not coming, and now they have to try with experienced people, because we have to remember that we are also at a quarter to twelve, which can be a long time or a short time, depending on whether they get down to work and make intelligent and common-sense decisions.
So the best option is to appoint Aguirre?
For me yes, I think he is the one who knows perfectly what the selection is about.
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