Revolution in Mexican Soccer

Little by little, Mexican soccer seems to be undergoing a revolution in terms of the characters that make up the benches of the First Division. For various reasons, young strategists have taken over different helms in the top circuit, starting to develop a generational change in a league that had become accustomed to having the same managers in a cyclical manner, even if they had already been tested in similar scenarios. The pillars of all these modifications are Rafael Puente del Río and Jaime Lozano, who at 38 years old, head an atypical group in the technical areas.

In his book, "The Eleven Powers of the Leader", Argentine Jorge Valdano, when he was coach of Real Madrid, talks about his approaches to the club's youth academy, the talks he had with more than one prospect of the white club, excluding Raúl González (his favorite): "To all of them I told the truth: 'The doors of the first team are not going to open for you... Because it is you who have to break them down based on your talent.'"... And something similar has happened with the new coaches in the Liga MX.

The need for a radical change, in addition to the preparation of these aspiring coaches, has been the main factors for being taken into account. The recent promotion of Lobos BUAP exemplifies perfectly what was mentioned before. The story of the last eight months in the life of Rafael Puente del Río seems like it came out of any film script, but the transformation from sports commentator to coach of a second division franchise, which, without being in their plans, managed to make it to the First Division in the aforementioned time, is no coincidence: "I waited for many years for an opportunity, almost since my retirement as a professional, although all this also served me to prepare myself to the fullest."

With authority, victories under their belt, and an offensive style of play, Puente del Río achieved his greatest desire and everything seems to indicate that in early June his true test will begin, first, by outlining his squad in the Transfer Window and then in the preseason, facing what could be the first, of many, years in the elite of Mexican soccer... His story becomes more relevant when you know that his time on the field, as a player, was not very relevant. His is a trajectory of achievements, but also of years of perseverance and sacrifices.

On the Saturday when Culiacán became an unforgettable place, where they defeated Gabriel Caballero's Dorados to reach the top division, Rafa ran around like a scared child, trying to get to one of the central stands, trying to jump over the fences as high as possible, and finding himself in an emotional and nostalgic hug with his father, former professional footballer and recognized ESPN analyst...

"I will never forget this moment, this is also his moment, my father's, my whole family's, because it is them and for them that I am here now. The merit of this achievement belongs to my players, who went onto a difficult field and took on what needed to be done with courage. I don't want to wake up from this dream," he said on the field.

With a similar story, Jaime Lozano positioned himself in the orbit of a team that gave him the opportunity to start from scratch. After his retirement as a professional in mid-2013, Jimmy needed some time to define the strategy of a plan that he had clear since he was a professional player: to be a coach. Several months passed, until at the beginning of the following year, after his farewell, he went to Europe, where he completed a master's degree in soccer and technical direction; some sessions consisted of analyzing tactical formations in depth and long conversations with coaches like Marcelo Bielsa.

It wouldn't be until the beginning of 2015, when an old acquaintance, Joaquín Beltrán, convinced him to take charge of the Querétaro Sub 20 team, where his former teammate at Pumas was the sports president... Jaime relied on his knowledge and also on his partner in battles on the field, Gerardo Galindo, to assume the role of his assistant and both started on a path that they had talked and imagined during their professional careers: "It wasn't a matter of luck, but preparation and visualization, and with that responsibility, I took on my first assignment," he pointed out.

Three tournaments later, Lozano had already won the league title with the Querétaro secondary team, in addition to several first-place finishes; it seemed that this division was too small for his aspirations and abilities, so the board asked Víctor Manuel Vucetich, Querétaro's head coach, to include Jaime as one of his assistants on the bench starting from the second half of 2016...

A few months later, he would lift the Copa title at La Corregidora: "It's something indescribable; I just recently joined the squad, but the unity of everyone has made this possible," he commented. But the poor results at the beginning of the Clausura 2017 put him in a difficult, although desired, position.

Vucetich's dismissal put Lozano in the spotlight and gave him the opportunity to debut as a coach in the top league; despite the limitations of the squad, he managed to have the Gallos in playoff positions, competing with the favorites for a spot, but the lack of experience took its toll and in the final stretch of the tournament, the Gallos had a slump that complicated any possible aspirations; however, with the support of the board, Jimmy will start the next semester with new vigor, thinking about the top levels. And just like Puente and Lozano, others, regardless of their nationality, have earned a place in the league: the current CONCACAF champion, Diego Alonso, coach of Pachuca, who is only 42 years old, already has a local title with the Tuzos; Matías Almeyda, who has already won Copa titles and has a permanent prominence with Chivas, is 43, while Pumas, true to their essence, bet on their own and have also tried it on the bench, with Francisco Palencia (44 years old), who little by little has managed to shape an interesting and future sports project.