Javier “El Vasco” Aguirre will have his third stint with El Tri, and former national team captain Rafael Márquez will be his assistant
What was an open secret has been made official on Monday, July 22, by the Mexican Football Federation through their social media accounts. They announced Javier Aguirre as the Head Coach and Rafael Márquez as his assistant coach.
Aguirre takes over in his third tenure, replacing Jaime Lozano, who recently resigned after failing to advance to the final round of the Copa América.
“The experience of Javier Aguirre, the trajectory of Rafa Márquez, and the proven leadership of both on the world stage together with the Mexican National Team looking ahead to 2026 and the 2030 Project. How can we not be excited?” read the social media announcement, officially marking Aguirre’s third stint with El Tri.
The Third Time for El Vasco: Will It Be the Charm?
As a strategist for the Mexican National Team, Javier Aguirre has previously taken charge, stepping in as a substitute on the bench and finishing his various tenures in World Cups. His downfall came in the Round of 16, where the United States eliminated Mexico. Aguirre managed to qualify the team for the World Cup in South Korea and Japan after a poor first half in the Final Hexagonal.
The story repeated itself leading up to South Africa 2010, where Aguirre, after a notable period managing Atlético de Madrid, replaced the Swedish Sven-Göran Eriksson on the bench.
During that period, Aguirre led 32 matches, achieving 19 victories, seven draws, and six losses, and won the 2009 Gold Cup by defeating the United States 5-0.
Rafael Márquez, returning to the Mexican team as an assistant coach, had an illustrious career as a defender for El Tri. Márquez Álvarez defended Mexico’s colors in 153 matches, scored 18 goals, and played in five World Cups: South Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018.
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