Mexican soccer debacle

I am not a soccer expert, but like millions of Mexicans, I feel disappointed by the failure of the team in Qatar. From that amateur perspective I dare to comment. They made us falsely dream of the long-awaited fifth game, when we didn’t even get to the fourth. It is the worst performance of the national team since 1978. We return to the era of the “little green mice” as the journalist Manuel Seyde sarcastically baptized them in the sixties. Symbolically, the setback was foreshadowed by the nonsense of replacing the proud traditional eagle on the shield with a flying bird that pretends to be an eagle.

This football debacle is divided into a tripartite responsibility. First, Gerardo Martino, who from the beginning showed himself to be a coach with poor technique and tactics, without imagination for a fast and dynamic game, and without leadership and communication skills to connect with the players and people. Poor coach, he never understood his animosity towards Chicharito, the exclusion of Laynez and selecting Funes Mori, a mediocre striker, and Raúl Jiménez without having fully recovered from his injury.

Second, the FMF, the Federation, which did not correct when it still could have done so and agreed to an undeserved millionaire contract with Martino. Yon de Luisa, president of the FMF, and Mikel Arriola, president of the League, favored lucrative commercial contracts at the cost of promoting effective organizational and functional management of the league and team. They deceived the fans through a publicity device that manipulated an image of the quality of the team that did not correspond to reality. Both must assume their responsibility, retire and give way to more competent officials. It is not possible to restructure football with the same managers.

Third, the players, lacking in a winning and competitive attitude and artificially inflated in attitude and salary to the degree of pride. They do not show a real commitment to the shirt and the only thing that interests them is the springboard to European football and advertising contracts with companies.

The FMF must think of a four-year, medium-term strategic project. For this, as I already pointed out, it is necessary to renew the entire management team and focus very carefully on finding a capable technician. For this, the diagnosis of everything that did not work with Martino should serve to select a technician who precisely overcomes those deficiencies. After a reasonable period of observation and player selection, a base draw should be worked out. It was the strategy that Germany followed with coach Löw to be champions in 2014.

Now, for a radical and profound change in the structure and functionality of Mexican soccer, it would be necessary to do what Luis de la Calle rightly proposes (El Universal, 11-30-2022).

The Mexican fans are among the best in the world in terms of enthusiasm, animation and clothing. For this reason we do not deserve the mediocrity that represented us in Qatar. To have a decent team in 2026, you don’t have to dream, but get to work.

Twitter: @frubli