During the bicampeonato that Pumas achieved in 2004, a phrase was immortalized for the titles won: "Made in CU" ... Jaime Lozano, an offensive midfielder, graduate of the National University, was the intellectual author of the quote.
In every goal celebration and above all, when lifting the champion trophies, Jimmy wore a sleeveless shirt that displayed his feelings, his roots; the crowd, aware of this, embraced him like a favorite and claimed each letter as their own.
Lozano Espín forged his career always with professionalism, leaving positive impressions in every team he played for; after winning two League titles with Pumas, he left his home shortly after to wear the colors of Tigres (2005-07), a very different team from the one he represents now at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, and it was there, in Monterrey, where he not only met the mother of his two children but also found the vocation he now pursues: "There, I understood football in a different way and that motivated me to become a coach," he commented in an interview with La Afición.
In his career, he also spent time with Cruz Azul (2007-2010) and Morelia (2010-2012), before ending up at Pumas (2012-13), where his story began more than 10 years earlier. He retired amid inactivity and not as he would have wished, but with the firm goal he had discovered before; he spent several months in Europe, perfecting game methods, talking to coaches, including Marcelo Bielsa, among many others, and then landed at Querétaro's U20 team to start his new path.
It was January 2015 when, alongside Gerardo Galindo, his best friend, soccer training partner at Pumas, and dream partner, he took charge of the youth team at Gallos Blancos. After a year and a half, the coaching duo would give the institution its first title in the lower divisions, winning the League in the Clausura 2016; the achievement meant Lozano's promotion to the first team, where he would serve as assistant to Víctor Manuel Vucetich.
Almost eight months later, with the dismissal of the "King Midas," and the experience of having been part of the conquest of the Copa Mx, Lozano was appointed head coach of the main team; at the press conference announcing his appointment to the media, on the left side of the table was Joaquín Beltrán, another of his close friends, precisely the one who had invited him to be part of the project years before.
"I come to try to achieve the results that the club needs, to earn the points that put Gallos where they deserve," he said in his first statements.
In general, the football community received him optimistically because his presence reinforces the turnover of coaches in the Liga Mx, but also because of the personal imprint that Lozano left as a player. Despite the good wishes, few expected him to achieve quick results.
Jaime debuted as a coach of Querétaro alongside Gerardo Galindo, who was already coaching the U20 team. He made his debut, with a notebook in hand, against Cruz Azul, a former acquaintance, and with a draw (1-1) in between. The team looked vertical, insistent, and effective.
After La Máquina came León and later Necaxa; the collective performance and results of Gallos increased: a 2-1 victory at home against La Fiera coached by Javier Torrente, and a resounding 4-1 win away against the volatile team led by Alfonso Sosa: "It's credit to my players, who have followed the plan for each game; we have tried to enhance the best qualities of each member of the squad," Jimmy said after the rout.
Lozano has caught the attention of Mexican soccer, not only for becoming the youngest coach to take charge of a team - he is 37 years old - but also for other particularities: he experiences every match to the fullest, always on the edge of the sideline that represents his coaching zone; he elegantly dresses at all times, wearing tie clips with the initials of his children and wife; in addition, he carries a notebook with him, where he has recycled relevant notes, some of them since he took the coaching course, and in which he makes clarifications without hesitation, even during the match.
A fan of Pumas since before joining the youth academy at Pedregal, this weekend he will receive, for the first time, as an opponent, the team that gave him the opportunity to start an endless journey, which now puts him in front of the shield of the National University: "I practically owe everything to the team, I was trained there, it is an institution that I will always wish the best for... Except this Saturday," he concludes without hesitation.
THE FACT
Before joining Pumas' Cantera, Jaime Lozano was part of America's youth academy.
YOUNGEST COACHES
Jaime Lozano / Querétaro / 37 years old
Diego Alonso / Pachuca / 41 years old
Francisco Palencia / Pumas / 43 years old
Matías Almeyda / Chivas / 43 years old
José Cardozo / Puebla / 45 years old