{"id":185792,"date":"2026-07-07T15:29:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T19:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/rafael-marquez-takes-the-reins-of-a-mexico-that-must-break-free-from-four-decades-of-stagnation\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T16:01:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T20:01:58","slug":"rafael-marquez-takes-the-reins-of-a-mexico-that-must-break-free-from-four-decades-of-stagnation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/en\/rafael-marquez-takes-the-reins-of-a-mexico-that-must-break-free-from-four-decades-of-stagnation\/","title":{"rendered":"Rafael M\u00e1rquez takes the reins of a Mexico that must break free from four decades of stagnation"},"content":{"rendered":"

As has been the case for the past four decades, Mexico woke up this Monday with the same feeling of having been eliminated from the World Cup<\/a>, though with the hope that Rafael M\u00e1rquez, the successor to head coach Javier Aguirre, will be the one to reap the rewards in 2030 of what \u201cEl Vasco\u2019s\u201d team sowed.<\/p>\n

The former Barcelona player will attempt to lead this team through a complete process\u2014an adventure that is practically unheard of for a national team known for replacing its coaches at the whim of its executives and commercial commitments. This has been a hallmark of Mexico since 1986: the lack of a long-term plan that builds on the work laid out by previous coaches.<\/p>\n

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The coaching changes marked a process full of ups and downs<\/h2>\n
\"Rafael
PHOTO: Rafael M\u00e1rquez’s Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although there is talk that the 2026 World Cup has sparked high expectations, the truth is that it has been fraught with inconsistencies ever since Argentine coach Gerardo Martino failed to lead the Mexican national team to the second round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n

Mexican soccer officials floundered before turning to Aguirre as a last-minute savior to ensure a respectable World Cup performance.<\/p>\n

They turned to Argentine Diego Cocca, who was hired in February 2023, and fired him just a few months later.<\/p>\n

They appointed Jaime Lozano as interim coach\u2014the man who led Mexico to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but who was fired despite winning the 2023 Gold Cup (Filed under: Rafael M\u00e1rquez Takes Over El Tri).<\/p>\n

Mexico’s history repeated itself, and the generational shift remains pending<\/h2>\n
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A post shared by Rafa Marquez A. (@rafamarquez.a)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n