If there was going to be any surprise announcements it would have come from Javier Aguirre saying he wishes to stay on as Mexico’s coach for four more years. There were no secrets and so, in a Wednesday afternoon, Mexico City press conference, Aguirre confirmed he is parting ways with El Tri and truth known, with his native Mexico as well. The coach who has now guided Mexico’s national team through two World Cups, 2002 and 2010 has had enough.
That personal decision to leave the post was surely made long before yesterday’s announcement. It is something Javier and his wife Silvia determined even before accepting the position. As early as February 18, 2010 those thoughts and feelings were made public in at least one Spanish sports radio interview.
That interview came not long after the tragic shooting of Club America striker and Paraguayan World Cup team centerpiece Salvador Cabañas in a Mexico City bar. To summarize, Aguirre told the Spanish radio audience the period of crime and insecurity Mexico is going through is not the type of life he wants for his family. It is the reason his two oldest boys stayed behind in Spain. Only he, his wife, and youngest child went to Mexico but, “As soon as the World Cup is over we will return directly to Spain”.
Not even the reported $4,000,000 per annum deal the top coach had with the FMF was enough to keep him on the job.
The indignity for many Mexicans is Aguirre wants to further himself as a coach in Spain. Ironic that he is the Mexican born son of Spanish national parents who immigrated to Mexico in search of a better life. Now the table has turned.
Aguirre took over the seleccion some 16 months ago with the objective of rescuing Mexico from a qualifying campaign teetering on failure. Having turned the nation’s fortunes around, he then set a goal of making it into the second round.
Javier Aguirre’s work is finished and he is gone. The search for a replacement has already begun as what matters now is where Mexico goes from here.
We will examine those prospects here soon. Watch for it.
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