Diego Cocca, in his presentation as coach of the Mexican team: "Talent is not enough"

Argentine coach Diego Cocca poses during his presentation as the new coach of the Mexican team. José Méndez (EFE)

The Diego Cocca era has begun in the Mexican team, a symbol of the current crisis in Mexican soccer.

The 50-year-old Argentine will take charge of the Mexican team for the 2026 cycle, the most important in more than 35 years because the country will host the World Cup together with the United States and Canada.

"For me, having the chance to help from this place [as a national coach] is a privilege, it's a chance that I shouldn't let go of," Cocca said this Friday in his presentation.

"I want to have players who wear the country's jersey, sing the anthem, feel proud and privileged," he added.

Cocca's hiring bordered on embarrassment by the Mexican Football Federation.

The institution, through its recently founded committee of the Mexican national team, had a list of five candidates, among which Miguel

Herrera, Jaime Lozano, Marcelo Bielsa or Guillermo Almada.

They had taken time, say the managers, because they set a 60-day period to analyze the chain of errors that led to Mexico being eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup at the hands of Tata Martino.

The "in-depth" report ended with the choice of coach in two weeks after the name of Diego Cocca, two-time league champion in Mexico, convinced the small group of owners who run Mexican soccer.

“We drew different conclusions [about Cocca]: he is an intelligent leader, with values.

He has known how to lead the groups, denotes leadership and proven experience ”, commented Jaime Ordiales, sports director of the Mexican team, in a conference in which the president of the FMF, Yon de Luisa, was absent.

With haste came chaos.

The executive president of national teams, Rodrigo Ares de Parga, met with Cocca and convinced him of his project.

They communicated this to Tigres, the club led by the Argentine, and he could not oppose.

The ways of the Federation, however, did not please the royal team.

This Tuesday, the Tigres board announced the dismissal of Cocca by assuring that he needed "committed people" and went ahead of the Federation to announce that he was already designated as coach.

“I believe in the Mexican soccer player.

Talent is not enough, you have to accompany him, give him tools.

My goal is to discover Mexican talent, put them on the level, make it a winning team.

Until where?

There is no ceiling”, commented the new coach.

“Diego is a hard-working man, who knows Mexican soccer, he is a great strategist and has great group management.

As of March we will have results”, launched Ares de Parga.

Cocca began his coaching career in the Argentine Second Division with the Children's Activities Commission (CAI).

He directed Primera clubs such as Godoy Cruz, Gimnasia, Huracán, Defensa y Justicia, Rosario Central and Racing de Avellaneda, a club he made champion in 2014 after a 13-year drought.

His first club abroad was Santos Laguna, but things did not go well for him.

He was also with the Millionaires of Colombia, then in Tijuana and then in the Atlas, where he arrived in the year of the pandemic.

The Argentine won the unexpected: the League with the team that for seven decades was the big loser: Atlas.

With the red and black he won a historic two-time championship.

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