LIGA MX
Claudio Suárez: ‘Tigres still can’t be considered among the greats’
The ‘Emperor’ says Tigres’ achievements are impressive, but as a club they still lack the popularity and influence which América, Chivas, Pumas and Cruz Azul boast.
Without in any way underestimating the brilliant last 23 years that Tigres have enjoyed and of which he himself was a part of for five seasons, Claudio Suárez feels that despite all of their achievements, the reality is that UANL cannot yet be considered among the big four of Mexican soccer.
Classic clubs
Being familiar with the club’s rich history, he told AS México, “It’s normal for people to say that after playing for Monterrey, teams like Tigres and Rayados don’t exist. I think that’s normal”. But at the same time, he admitted that it cannot be denied that during the past decade, they are the most successful team.
“Everyone knows that América, Chivas, Pumas and Cruz Azul are more popular, there is no point in even discussing it. It’s normal. Years ago, the regio teams used to always be the losers - that’s the reality. Now, with work, they’ve turned things around. I remember in the decade of the 80s and 90s, they had certain periods of success, but now they are protagonists. Now, Tigres stand out, their numbers are impressive, but among the fans, Chivas and América remain the most popular - they’re the ones that attract the masses,” he argued.
And elaborated further: “As a fan, you know when your team is constantly winning and doing well and Tigres is in that process. You can ask a child when was the last time you saw your champion team win something - for example, Cruz Azul who, in 23 years, has barely won a title and is still one of the greats simply because of their popularity. It’s down to the history that the previous sides made. So it’s complicated and I understand it. A lot of people say that Tigres and Rayados come from Monterrey so don’t count,” he said.
Fans’ view on traditional Mexican soccer
To end, we asked Suárez whether he thought Tigres will soon be considered among the greats and if their clashes with América is now one of the classic rivalries of Mexican soccer? “It’s not a clásico, because that’s decided by history. This particularly rivalry between Tigres and América is relatively new, it’s quite short. It’s about two teams that have faced each other lately in more Mexican soccer finals: Concacaf, Champion of Champions... that’s the reality is that many do not want to recognize.
“For me, Tigres is the top side of Mexican soccer right now because of what it has done out on the pitch. In terms of results, they are the best side of the last ten years; they’ve won six or seven titles - they’ve won more than the big four (América, Chivas, Pumas and Cruz Azul), all four combined... They reached the final of the Club World Cup, Copa Libertadores... Tigres really has had enormous success in sport but the issue is that the other teams are more popular,” Suárez continued. “I think that little by little Tigres have been accumulating more and more fans. I don’t know if in the future whether they can achieve what Chivas and América have achieved; I think that will be quite difficult”.