Who is Diego Cocca, Mexico’s new head coach?

Two months after Tata Martino stepped down as coach of the Mexican national team following their elimination from the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, his successor was ready to take over.

On Friday 10 February, Diego Cocca was presented as Mexico’s new head coach. Cocca was the first choice for the role, ahead of Guillermo Almada and Piojo Herrera.

Where is Diego Cocca from?

Diego Cocca was born on 11 February 1972 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He played as a defender over a 26-year career and made his professional debut with River Plate, where he won a title (Apertura 1991). In Liga MX, Cocca played for Atlas (1999-2011), Veracruz (2003-2004) and Querétaro (2005).

Which clubs has Cocca managed?

After retiring from the game in 2006, Cocca became a coach. The 51-year-old has managed 12 clubs, in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. In 2007, he took charge of Comisión de Actividades Infantiles (C.A.I.) in Argentina’s Second Division. In the Argentinian top tier, he coached Godoy Cruz (2008-09), Gimnasia LP (2010), Huracán (2011-12), Defensa y Justicia (2013-14), Racing Club (2014-15 and 2017) and Rosario Central (2019-20).

In Liga MX, Cocca has managed Santos (2011), Tijuana (2017-18), Atlas (2020-22) and Tigres (2023), a good grounding as he takes charge of the national team.

What has Cocca won as a coach?

Cocca has won three league titles as a coach, one in Argentina and two in Mexico. In Argentina, he guided Racing Club to the 2014 Torneo de Transición title, ending a 13-year league drought with the club from Avellaneda.

In Liga MX, he worked his magic with Atlas, winning the championship twice (Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022) and breaking a drought of more than 70 years without winning a First Division title. He also won the Campeón de Campeones 2022 title with Atlas.

Fresh start with Mexico

On Sunday, the Mexico squad met up ahead of their upcoming Concacaf Nations League games. Cocca has since taken his first official training session with the Mexico squad and previously had a mini-training camp where he got to know the international players who play in Liga MX.