Mexico fires head coach Lozano two weeks after Copa America exit

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Jaime Lozano has been fired as head coach two weeks after Mexico’s first-round exit at the Copa América.

The Mexican Football Federation on Tuesday said Lozano declined its offer to stay and work as an assistant to the next coach for two years and potentially take over again after the 2026 World Cup.

“This was one of the toughest decision I have to make,” Lozano said on his official social media accounts. “It is a matter of principles and it's because of the change of direction from the original project.”

Javier Aguirre, who is a close friend of the Mexican federation commissioner Juan Carlos Rodríguez, is considered the main candidate for the job.

Aguirre, who coached Mexico at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, had earlier declined a position to help Lozano from afar.

The federation said the new coach could be confirmed as early as the first week of August.

Lozano guided Mexico's Under-23 team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and was appointed as interim coach of the national team in May of last year to replace Diego Cocca. After winning the Gold Cup, Lozano's appointment became permanent in August of 2023.

“Jimmy” Lozano won just 10 out of the 21 games he was in charge. At Copa America, Mexico edged Jamaica, lost to Venezuela and tied with Ecuador to be eliminated out of Group B.

Lozano contentiously left five experienced players out of the squad for Copa America, including goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and strikers Hirving Lozano and Raul Jimenez.

He reasoned that he wanted to see other players in leading roles and the president of the Mexican Soccer Federation, Ivar Sisniega, guaranteed that his job was safe regardless of the outcome in the tournament.

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