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Marcelo Bielsa and Roberto Martínez almost led Mexico, former manager revealed

Avatar of Edgardo Avelar

By Edgardo Avelar

Nov 23, 2024, 16:50 PM EST

The former director of the Mexican national team Jaime Ordiales insisted again that the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, current coach of Uruguay and the Spanish Roberto Martínez, Portugal strategist They were moments away from commanding the Tricolor, but in the end they let them escape.

Ordiales released more details of how they knocked on the door of both prestigious technicians to lead Mexico’s 2022-2026 World Cup project, but in the end, for reasons of another nature, they ended up leaning in favor of the Argentine Diego Cocca, with the results already known to everyone.

In the broadcast Faitelson Sin Censura, the former director of the Mexican national team He explained that in the case of the Spanish Martínez, the complication in not closing the deal with the current strategist of the Portuguese national team was that the European set a deadline to receive a response and that never came from the high command of the Mexican Football Federation. .

“When he spoke to me in December, he told me, hey, I need an answer about you because I have another project that requires my answer. and that offer was to lead Portugal as it began in January 2023,” he said.

Bielsa Case

While in the case of Marcelo Bielsa, the controversial manager highlighted that: “Bielsa was very interested in the project”It was clear that he was interested in coming to Mexico, but after Rodrigo Ares de Parga and I spoke with him, suddenly there was no response, nor any sign and everything remained a simple possibility.”

Afterwards Bielsa was hired by Uruguay with the step that Everyone already knows about the Uruguayan team in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifierswhere it occupies the second place only behind Argentina.

Both coaches saved a lot of courage when directing the Mexican team, taking into account the instability that reigned in the Mexican Football Federation, where two political groups continue to dispute control of Mexican football.

Wigan's manager Roberto Martinez walks from the pitch after his team's 5-0 loss to Manchester United in their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Monday Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
The Spanish Roberto Martínez, current technical director of Portugal, was very close to directing Mexico, but in the end the disinterest of the Aztec managers led him to give up that option.
Credit: Jon Super | AP

The reality is that Marcelo Bielsa had an advantage in the preferences due to his knowledge of Aztec footballbut the prestige that Martínez obtained during his time in the Premier League and with the Belgian national team also made him an interesting option.

How Portugal and Uruguay are doing

So far Portugal under the command of Roberto Martínez is the deputy leader of Group A of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers, three points behind the Serbian national team, while Uruguay with Marcelo Bielsa is in second place in CONMEBOL, following in the footsteps of Argentina, leader of the competition in the southern cone of America.

Continue reading:
-Disciples of Bielsa meet again in Mexico 30 years later
-Miguel Herrera sends a criticism to Marcelo Bielsa
-Portugal coach praises Cristiano Ronaldo after qualifying for the round of 16 of Euro 2024