The era of the Aguirre-Márquez duo begins; we are not here to put out any fire, they say
▲ Rafael Márquez and Javier Aguirre were officially presented yesterday to lead the Tricolor towards the 2026 World Cup. Photo by Cristina Rodríguez
Alberto Aceves
The newspaper La Jornada
Friday, August 2, 2024, p. a12
Javier Aguirre and Rafael Márquez, coach and assistant of the Mexican national team, get out of a white van at the High Performance Center at the same time. Behind them appear the president of the Mexican Football Federation, Ivar Sisniega, and the sports director of the Tricolor, Duilio Davino, with microphone in hand. The two greet each other and wait their turn for the presentation of the new working group on the road to the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. We are not here to cover a hole or put out a fire, he says. The Basquein a blue suit without a tie, while he watches in the front row the slides of a six-year plan designed by the federations.
Although it is the same document that Jaime Lozano had in his hands, having been relieved of his duties after being eliminated in the group stage of the Copa América, the experienced coach is not afraid that the announced project will come to an end before the agreed date. I trust in my work, but it is no secret to anyone that results are the order of the day in football, says the experienced coach. The final objective is 2026. If there is will, enthusiasm and a good base of players, everything is compensated. It helps a lot that we do not have a qualifying round in the area. The project exists. If the results go badly, there is no shield that is worth it.
During a conference lasting more than 50 minutes, Aguirre answers questions ranging from football to where he will live in the country, after more than 15 years in Europe. “I’m going to stay in my house on Prolongación Bosques de Reforma,” he says with humor, despite Márquez’s discomfort when talking about that subject. “It offends me a little, because it’s like questioning my commitment to the national team. For me, this is a master’s degree that I’m going to do with the best coach that Mexico has ever had,” adds the former captain, five-time World Cup player.
For the election of Marquez as his assistant, The Basque –for the third time in the position after the 2002 Korea-Japan and 2010 South Africa Cups– lists a series of attributes corresponding to his career. My conversation with Rafa was direct. His name came up in these working dynamics that I had with Ivar and Duilio, he was on the verge of managing Barcelona and he accepted, he explains and, in parallel, denies the possibility of Lozano being considered in his technical team. We never talked about it. It was never on the table. It was a proposal, but I never had that possibility.
The national coaching staff will also include Spaniard Toni Amor (assistant) and Pol Llorente (physical trainer), as well as goalkeeping coach Joseba Ituarte, also from the Iberian Peninsula country. His international debut will be in September, when the Tricolor faces New Zealand and Canada, on the 7th and 10th, in the United States. If the player has quality, I don’t look at age. The best player will play. I believe in generational change, in young Mexicans, and there is quality, he says.
Both Davino and Sisniega avoid going back in time to explain the premeditated departure of Lozano, who they confirmed before the arrival of The Basque. We made some mistakes, but now is the time to look to the future, says the former footballer. Aguirre’s contract at the head of the Tricolor is valid until 2026. After the World Cup, his position will be in the hands of Márquez, according to the plan presented by the federations in the CAR. I have two very big dreams: to be national coach and to return to Barcelona one day, he recalls as a culmination of the call KaiserI am still in the process, I hope they come true.
2024-08-02 09:06:40
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