Michel First Casualty of New Season…Before it Starts. Who’s Next For Pumas?
Michel has ceased to be the coach of UNAM just a day before the new Liga MX Tournament kicks off. Michel cited personal reasons and family as his decision to leave Pumas, however recent fallouts with Juan Iturbe and possible locker rooms issues might be to blame. He leaves the club with a record of 13 wins, 12 losses, and 12 draws and a point per match average of 1.44. Andres Lillini will take over as interim head coach for UNAM but is unlikely to be their long term solution, however, due to the ongoing pandemic, bringing a new coach in might be a challenge. With that in mind here are five coaches UNAM to consider.
Javier Aguirre
Aguirre is coming off a relegation season in La Liga where he was unable to keep Leganes at the top level. Although he was unable to right the ship, what he did in the time at the club is to be admired and might have put him on the map for other teams in Europe. El Vasco has not coached in Liga MX since the 98-99 season with Los Tuzos, but a return to Mexico to coach one of the top four may be enough to draw his attention.
Victor Manuel Vucetich
El Rey Midas of Liga MX recently ceased being the coach of Queretaro and might be looking for a new challenge. Vucetich averaged a 1.41 PPM ending with a record of 19 wins, 8 draws, and 19 losses. Vucetich has shown a way of making bad teams good and good teams great may look to return to the top of Liga MX with Los Felinos. With the talent and Cantera currently at Universidad, this might be an ideal fit, even if it keeps the Mexican coaching carousel going.
Dario Veron
If there’s one thing that’s all the rage right now in the world futbol its giving club legends a chance to coach. Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United are the latest examples of this. Pumas isn’t new to this trend and in recent years has allowed Hugo Sanchez, David Patino, Paco Palencia, and most recently Bruno Marioni to coach UNAM. This strategy has been hit or miss, El Echicero might look to be the next success story in UNAM. The only hurdle seems to be his lack of experience, having only received his coaching license in December.
Hector Altamirano
El Pity has enjoyed two successful stints in the now gone Liga Ascenso with Cimarrones and most recently Celaya. Because of his coaching development with Queretaro, I was shocked when he was passed up for that job. With a PPM of 1.58 and an overall record of 18 wins, 7 draws, and 14 losses, Altamirano will be hungry to prove himself at the next level and maybe the kickstart UNAM needs.
Gabriel Heinze
Heinze is my pick and has become a sought after coach in recent years having had exceptional runs within his native Argentina coaching Argentinos Jr. and Velez Sarsfield. In just 114 games between the two his record stands at 56 wins, 34 draws, and 24 losses, with a PPM of 1.8 and more impressively a goal differential of 150 to 86. While Heinze is currently linked to Marseille in France and recently relegated Espanyol, he might consider taking the route his ex-coach and mentor Marcelo Bielsa took and make Mexico his next destination. Maybe a little farfetched, Pumas should do everything in their power to bring El Gringo to CU.
