With José Pekerman having recently gone to Toluca, and other recent stints in North America from the likes of Ricardo La Volpe, Argentine coaches are all the rage in Mexico at the moment. On Thursday, Tecos UAG announced they’d signed one of their own, and he’s set to manage the team for the next two years. His age would raise some eyebrows – he’s 68 years old, hardly up-and-coming – were it not for his name. Ladies and gentlemen, César Luis Menotti is back in management.
Menotti made his name in front of the wider world whilst chain-smoking his way through every match at the 1978 World Cup, simultaneously speaking out long and loud against the military junta who at the time were running Argentina, on the way to the country’s first World Cup win in front of a packed Monumental. Throughout his career he’s been an outspoken advocate for open, entertaining, attacking football, and as well as Argentina he’s managed Newell’s, Huracán, both River and Boca, Independiente on three ocassions (most recently two years ago), Peñarol in Uruguay, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain, and Sampdoria in Italy.
When Tecos director Antonio Leaño introduced his new manager as ‘an encyclopaedia of football’, then, he wasn’t kidding. El Flaco has managed in Mexico before, most notably the national side from 1991 to 1992, during which time he went some way to changing the image abroad of the Mexican national side, and helped inject a little confidence into the Aztecas‘ game.
Tecos’ next match, away to Club América, will be overseen by (also newly-signed) coach Jaime Ordiales, before Menotti’s arrival, which he’s been assured won’t mean the end of his own job after the Argentine has put together his own technical staff. Tecos are currently sixth (bottom) in Group 1 of the Mexican Apertura championship, having drawn one and lost two of their matches. Can Menotti save the day?
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