'The best coach of Mexico,' Rafa Márquez pays tribute to Aguirre after taking the position with the Mexican national team

Rafa Márquez has officially been appointed head coach of the Mexico national team, succeeding Javier Aguirre – whom he called 'the best coach in the history of Mexico.' During the presentation ceremony organized by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and broadcast via TV Azteca, Márquez paid deep tribute to his predecessor. 'I learned from him how to cope with negative results and maintain my position throughout a World Cup cycle,' said the former El Tri captain. Márquez, 46, worked under Aguirre in three stages: twice as a player and once as an assistant. The direct assistant-to-head-coach succession signals a continuity-of-methodology strategy rather than a rupture. In his speech, Márquez emphasized the philosophy of 'work, work, work' – a message seen as expectation management before early bumps. 'In the end, what matters are the results, but what produces good results? Work, work, work,' he said. The Mexican team will play its first two friendlies under Márquez: against Colombia on September 26 and against Peru three days later. These matches are opportunities for Márquez to test his squad amid potential public criticism if results do not go well. The coach's long-term target is the 2030 World Cup, an ambitious but risky cycle given his lack of senior national team head-coach experience. Appointing an inexperienced, internally promoted coach instead of an expensive foreign name suggests a budget-conscious and continuity-oriented strategy by the FMF. However, praising Aguirre as the 'best coach' inadvertently sets a high benchmark for Márquez: failure would invite pressure from his predecessor's legacy.