Diego Cocca, the coach of the Mexico national team, has been sacked after leading the country to a third-place finish in the Nations League, behind the United States and Canada. The decision was made by the Mexican football federation, which appointed Cocca in February following the dismissal of Tata Martino due to a disappointing performance at the World Cup in Qatar, where Mexico was eliminated in the group stage.
Despite Mexico's success in reaching the Nations League, a painful 3-0 defeat against the USA raised concerns. Although they secured third place against Panama, the new director of the Mexican Soccer Federation, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, decided to part ways with the Argentinean coach. There were already indications that the evaluation of Diego Cocca's tenure would occur after leading Mexico in the Nations League and the upcoming 2023 Gold Cup, but he was dismissed before the start of the second competition.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez, the FMF commissioner president, announced Cocca's dismissal and expressed dissatisfaction with the team's recent performance. He cited deficiencies, particularly in the game against the United States, stating that the manner of the defeat was unacceptable. Rodriguez highlighted issues such as disorder in decision-making, lack of processes, rigor, transparency in appointments, and the persistence of bad habits accumulated over the years.
Diego Cocca, who was fired after just seven matches, had previously achieved success as a manager in Mexico's domestic leagues. He led Atlas to consecutive Liga MX titles in the 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura. The 51-year-old Argentine has also managed clubs in Argentina and Colombia.
Jaime Lozano has been appointed as the interim manager, taking over from Cocca. Lozano previously guided Mexico to a Bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. As El Tri prepares for the CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign, scheduled to begin on June 25, Lozano will be tasked with leading the team.
