Two Former Mexican National Team Coaches Heading to Egypt

The nation of Egypt will be home to two former Mexican National Team World Cup coaches, it was revealed this week.

Javier Aguirre, who led El Tri in the 2002 and 2010 tournaments, is next in line to take the reigns of the Egyptian National Team. Meanwhile, it was announced earlier in the week that Ricardo La Volpe, who led Mexico in the 2006 World Cup, was hired as a sporting advisor to newly-named Pyramids FC in the Egyptian Premier League.

El Vasco comes to Egypt after Argentine coach Héctor Cúper left the role as head coach following Egypt’s group-stage crash-out in the 2018 World Cup. The Pharaohs disappointed finishing with zero points, one of only two teams to do so, conceded six goals and only scored twice.

Aguirre last managed Al-Wahda FC in the United Arab Emirates, winning two cups there, but is mostly remembered for his time coaching Mexico to both the 2002 and 2010 World Cups. His more successful Cup being the former when Mexico finished top of Group G. He also coached Mexico to a 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, defeating the United States 5-0.

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

El Vasco, a Liga MX-winning coach with Pachuca in 1999, also had solid runs in La Liga with Osasuna, Atletico Madrid and Espanyol. He’s no stranger to foreign national teams, having already coached the Japanese National Team from July 2014 to February 2015. Aguirre was let go from Japan early, however, due to the ongoing match-fixing probe against him in Spain from his time as manager of Real Zaragoza.

According to a report from ESPN Mexico, Aguirre will be paid $120 thousand a month in Egypt.

Ricardo La Volpe, commonly referred to as El Bigotón in Mexico, last coached Club América in the 2016 Apertura and 2017 Clausura and led Mexico to their best rank in the FIFA World Rankings, coming in at No. 4 in the world from May-June 2006.

La Volpe coached El Tri to a solid showing at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and won the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Brazil. He also gave Atlante FC their second Liga MX title in 1993.

La Volpe’s new club, Pyramids FC, was formerly known as Al Assiouty Sport until this year when Saudi billionaire Turki al-Sheikh bought the team. La Volpe will be working with former Al-Ahly coach Hossam El-Badry, who will serve as chairman of the club, and former Botafogo coach Alberto Valentim, who will be the head coach of the Egyptian side.