By Stephen Tew (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Aug 25, 2015 04:07 PM EDT
Tags ricardo ferretti, Mexican Soccer, el tri, FIFA Confederations Cup


"I have not come as a savior" said Ricardo Ferretti as he was officially announced as the interim manager of the Mexico national team. Ferretti replaces the departing Miguel Herrera in charge of El Tri, but will only feature as head coach for four games.

Those four matches will include two friendlies in September against Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina followed by October's crucial Confederations Cup playoff matches against the United States.

Having just won the Gold Cup, Ferretti takes over a Mexican national team that need to build on this summer's success and capture their place in the Confederations Cup in order to truly measure themselves against the world's best sides.

For Mexican fans, appointing Ferretti may well come as a surprising and even slightly disappointing decision. It appeared likely that the FMF would appoint Argentine Marcelo Bielsa and introduce a new mentality to the way that they go about appointing managers.

Bielsa would be the first foreign manager since Sven Goran Erikson's ill-fated spell as manager in 2008 and would mark a potential loosening of the grip of power that the FMF hold over the team, as Bielsa is known to be be determined to control all aspects of his team.

Mexican fans will also have hoped that Bielsa could do for El Tri what he did for Chile. In giving the Chileans a new playing style and identity, the Argentine totally changed the Chilean fate on the world stage and his legacy can be seen in their recent Copa America victory in June.

Naturally social media has been alive with reaction, but it interestingly seemed very positive and hopeful for Ferretti's reign. For Ferretti, the task will be a lot less radical. Simply a case of steadying the ship and putting together the organization and defensive solidity that he is famous for instilling in his teams.

Ferretti's history of three Liga MX titles and his recent run with Tigres to the Copa Libertadores Final seems to have convinced fans that he could be the right man to guide El Tri to the Confederations Cup.


When Ferretti's reign as Mexico coach comes to an end in October Mexico fans will hope to be feeling as positive, with their team safely qualified for the Confederations Cup and ready to install a new long term manager and take on the world's best teams.

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