According to Univision Deportes, Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti will become the next coach of El Tri, the Mexico National Team. However, the report states that it would only be on an interim basis for the upcoming friendly matches against Uruguay and the USMNT to be held September 7 and 11. Tuca’s position as head coach with Tigres of the Liga MX would not change.
It is important to note that he FMF (Mexican Soccer Federation) has not made any official statements, and other major news sites, such as MedioTiempo, are only reporting that there are strong links between Tuca and the interim position.
Although not official, this wouldn’t be an unprecedented move, as Ferretti previously took on the Mexican National Team interim head coach position in 2015; Tuca managed the team for 4 matches prior to the arrival of Osorio. The Brazilian’s short stint was highlighted by the 3-2 CONCACAF Cup (essentially a Confederations Cup playoff) victory over the United States.
Tuca has categorically rejected the idea of becoming a permanent coach for the Mexico National Team, many times, repeatedly, ad nauseam. Yet, he has already been the interim coach before, and with the September friendlies less than 30 days away, no new coach in sight, and with Tuca having recently mentioned being open to the idea of the interim role, it is highly probable that he will be leading Mexico in September.
It would open up an opportunity for the FMF to finally convince Ferretti to take on the role that apparently not many coaches are interested in. Given his success in the Liga MX, strong personality to control Mexico’s diva players, and respect from the FMF, Ferretti would be the perfect coach for a long-term project.
