The two biggest national team jobs in North America, Mexico and the United States, were both left vacant after the 2022 World Cup, until El Tri became the first to fill their vacancy Friday.
Tigres UANL announced the termination of Argentine manager Diego Cocca's contract on Thursday. The Liga MX side said in the press release that the 50-year-old accepted an invitation to coach the Mexican national team. The Mexican formally announced his hire Friday. His spell at Tigres lasted just five games, going undefeated.
"We inform you that we have decided to terminate the employment relationship with Diego Cocca as coach of Tigres, after learning of his decision to accept the position of coach of the [Mexican] national team," the club said.
The Buenos Aires native would a surprising choice to take the helm as Mexico prepares to co-host the World Cup in 2026 and comes with much less notoriety in comparison to the last three coaches: Miguel Herrera, Juan Carlos Osorio and Gerardo "Tata" Martino.
So what's his style like as a coach? Cocca prioritizes possession and has his players apply a ton of pressure when defending. He wants to keep the ball away from the other team as much as possible and apply pressure high up the field. His teams also tend to stretch the width of the field. His biggest issue right away with Mexico will be aiming to improve how they defend set pieces.
Where has he coached?
Here is everywhere he has coached:
| Club | Year(s) |
|---|---|
Comision de Actividades Infantiles | 2007-08 |
Godoy Cruz | 2008-09 |
Gimnasia de La Plata | 2010 |
Santos Laguna | 2011 |
Huracan | 2011-12 |
Defensa y Justicia | 2013-14 |
Racing Club | 2014-15 |
Millionarios | 2016 |
| Racing Club | 2017 |
| Tijuana | 2017-18 |
| Rosario Central | 2019-20 |
| Atlas | 2020-22 |
| Tigres UNAL | 2023 |
What's his coaching record?
His career record is 190 wins, 120 draws and 146 losses. He went 3-2-0 through just five games after being appointed coach of Tigres last month. His longest stint at a club was at Atlas where he spent just over two years and finished with a 35-25-35 record. He won the Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022 with Atlas and named Liga MX Best Manager for 2021-22. The Apertura 2021 crown was the team's first title since 1951.
What about his days as a player?
Yes, he played in Argentina, Mexico and Catalunya, finishing his career with Argentinos Juniors in 2005-06. He played for the Argentina U-20 team in 1991 and started his career off at Argentine giants River Plate back in 1990.
