Rafael 'Chiquis' García to be the new head coach of Puebla

After several years of being assistant coach to Ricardo La Volpe, Rafael 'Chiquis' García will have his first opportunity as a team manager, being the new head coach of Puebla.

A close connection with 'Bigotón'

In recent years, his bond with 'Bigotón' has been very strong, as he has not only been part of his coaching staff; 'Chiquis' married Sabrina La Volpe on December 27, 2003, after a relationship of almost eight months.

Career as a player

'Chiquis' emerged from the Pumas youth academy, and later joined Toluca, with whom he won the championship four times (Verano 1998, 1999, 2000 and Apertura 2002). Later, he would be part of Cruz Azul, Atlas and Veracruz.

International career

After having a remarkable performance during his time with Toluca, he was called up to the Mexican national team when Ricardo La Volpe was the coach; although he had previously been called up, as his first call-up was in 1996, in the Atlanta Olympics, under Bora Milutinovic.

Coaching career

Once retired from professional football, Rafael García became part of Ricardo La Volpe's coaching staff in 2009, when the Argentine coach took over at Atlas; however, the results were not enough for them to continue leading the club.

Jaguares and América

Later, they took on a new challenge, as they were hired by Jaguares for the Apertura 2015 and Clausura 2016, having a great performance during their first tournament, qualifying for the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first round.

For the next tournament, everything would change, as they did not reach the playoffs, finishing at the bottom of the general table, which is why Ricardo La Volpe and his coaching staff did not continue with the plans of the club's management.

América, their step towards coaching

The Eagles would mark the end of an era for the La Volpe - García duo, as it was the last team with which the former Toluca player would team up with Ricardo.

'Bigotón' arrived with his technical team in the Apertura 2016 as the replacement for Ignacio Ambriz, after putting the team's qualification for the playoffs at risk.

La Volpe and García Torres managed to lead the azulcremas to the Final of the Apertura 2016, securing their stay for one more season at the helm of Coapa.

2017 became a complicated year for the Eagles and the coaching staff, as injuries and suspensions forced the club to make some changes to their strategy, many of which were not liked by the fans and management.

It was on the last matchday of the regular phase of the Clausura 2017 that after losing to Pachuca, the Eagles lost their ticket to the playoffs, leading to the dismissal of La Volpe and his entire team.