Mexico names Javier Aguirre head coach, Rafa Marquez assistant

07/22/2024 06:39 PM

The Mexican Football Federation has made a change at head coach following the departure of Jaime Lozano earlier this summer.

Javier Aguirre has been hired as head coach of the Mexican men’s national team for a third time, the federation announced Monday. Former Mexico international Rafa Marquez has joined Aguirre’s staff as an assistant.

Aguirre is expected to lead El Tri through the 2026 FIFA World Cup before Marquez takes over the head coaching role leading into 2030. Lozano was offered an assistant coaching role under Aguirre, but declined the offer from the Mexican Football Federation.

Lozano registered a 10-4-7 record across all competitions before being dismissed following El Tri’s Copa America elimination.

“Javier has a strong track record, with experience and undisputed leadership in team management, while Rafa has great skill in talent development,” a federation statement read.

“Jaime Lozano was offered, along with his coaching staff, a contract until 2030, in which during 2024-2026 they will accompany a more experienced head coach towards our World Cup, and later it would be Jaime himself who would retake the reins of head coach in the 2026-2030 process,” the FMF added.

Aguirre, 65, led Mexico to the Round of 16 at both the 2002 and 2010 World Cups. He recently served as manager of Spanish club Mallorca, where he led them to the 2023-24 Copa del Rey Final.

Marquez, 45, featured in five World Cups with El Tri, earning 147 caps. He featured in over 500 matches at club level, winning 16 trophies including two UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns with Barcelona.

Following his professional retirement as a player, Marquez coached Alcala at the youth level in 2020 and Barcelona B in 2022.

El Tri’s next scheduled matches come this September against New Zealand on Sept. 7 in California and Canada on Sept. 10 in Texas.