Mexico sack Diego Cocca, Jimmy Lozano named interim coach

Diego Cocca has parted ways with Mexico - just four months after being appointed as head coach of the national team. On Monday, Mexican Football Federation president Juan Carlos Rodríguez confirmed that the Argentine coach had been dismissed following Mexico’s disappointment in the Nations League. Cocca’s team were eliminated by the United States in the semi-finals last week.

Rodríguez also announced that Jaime Lozano will take over as head coach, leading Mexico into this month’s Gold Cup where Mexico hope to have better luck. El Tri, who are in Group B along with Haiti, Honduras and Qatar, will make their debut in the tournament against Honduras on Sunday 25 June.

In a five-minute video posted on social media, the FMF president explained that due to “a perfect storm”, he was forced to make a tough decision: “The natural thing would be to wait for the Gold Cup to end, but today, we no longer have any time to waste. So I have to inform you that I have taken the decision to terminate the contract of Diego Martín Cocca and the members of his coaching staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rodrigo Ares de Parga. I am in no doubt that all of them are professionals in their field but they weren’t helped by a series of circumstances and a difficult atmosphere,” he said.

“With just 35 and a half months to go before the start of the World Cup, in our country, I have taken the decision to name Jaime Lozano as interim coach. He will be in charge of leading the team in the upcoming Gold Cup and I would like to thank him for accepting the position,” Rodríguez added.

Jaime Lozano has worked for the FMF in the past. He spent 18 months as coach of Mexico’s Under-23 side and led the country’s Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021, in which his side picked up the bronze medal. The 44-year-old has held a number of coaching positions in the Liga MX, having spent time at Nexaca and Querétaro.