Pumas introduced Rafael Puente as their brand new coach with an eye on the Clausura 2023.

A new challenge for Rafael Puente. Pumas UNAM presented the Mexican as the new coach of the university team for the Clausura 2023 tournament of Liga MX this Friday. The event counted with the presence of the institution's president, Leopoldo Silva, and the sports vice president, Miguel Mejía Barón.

Puente is 43 years old and is originally from Mexico City. He started his coaching career in 2016 at Lobos BUAP in the Second Division, where he achieved promotion in the Clausura 2017 and made his debut in the First Division.

In the top category, Puente coached Querétaro in 2018 and took charge of Atlas in 2020, an experience that he said will help him succeed at Pumas.

"I come with a lot of enthusiasm, I have learned from my mistakes, I retain my essence, I am impetuous and intense, and I come to offer intense work; I feel ready to meet the expectations required by this project," the coach emphasized.

Puente replaces Argentine Andrés Lillini, who led Pumas in five tournaments and took the team to be runner-up in the Mexican League in the Apertura 2020 and in the Concacaf Champions League this year.

Lillini was fired after the team failed to qualify for the final phase in the Apertura 2022; they finished the tournament in 16th place out of 18 participants with two wins, eight draws, and seven defeats.

Puente has a contract to coach Pumas until the end of the Clausura 2023.