Former Mexico star Rafa Márquez has said poor coaching is to blame for the U.S. men’s national team surpassing El Tri on the field in recent years.
The USMNT comfortably defeated Mexico 2-0 in last month’s Concacaf Nations League final, stretching its unbeaten run against El Tri to a program-record seven games (five wins, two draws).
“It is a shame that Mexican soccer does not have prepared coaches, that above all we do not have trainers prepared to train this talent that we have in Mexico,” Márquez said at a press conference this week.
“Unfortunately our neighbor, the United States, has surpassed us by a lot.”
Márquez is currently the head coach of Barcelona’s reserve team, and said he felt the need to immediately go to Europe to begin his coaching career after he retired.
“If you want to prepare with the best you have to come where the best are,” the 45-year-old said. “Of course as soon as I finished my career as a footballer I had to come and prepare again as a coach and be with the best. It is a mentality that we have to have more in Mexico to take risks, dare, try.”
After amassing 148 caps with Mexico and playing in five World Cups, Márquez retired in 2018. Márquez was mentioned as a likely successor to Barcelona head coach Xavi, before the club legend made a U-turn this week and opted to stay with the club after previously announcing he would leave at the end of the season.
[lawrence-related id=61219,63358,61728]