There has been plenty of speculation regarding whom the next head coach of the Mexican National team will be after the World Cup. Although the position is still held by Gerardo Tata Martino, who will lead the team to the Qatar World Cup, it’s pretty much a given that he’ll step down once the tournament is done. Last week plenty in the media, including us, proposed that the winning coach of the Liga MX final would have a great chance of becoming the next head coach of the Mexican National team. The results are in, and it would look like Memo Almada has a clear path to the position. The problem is, at least according to the president of Liga MX winner Pachuca, Almada still has 4 more years left on his deal with the team!
What’s There Left For Almada To Do At Pachuca?
There’s a lot for Almada to do at Pachuca when it comes to the development of young players. On that idea alone it makes sense for the team to want to keep him around for 4 more years. Dominating the league for a couple more years as well can be something that would be appealing to Pachuca executives. The thing is, Almada is a real tough coach that demands a lot from his players. In the lead up to the final there was speculation that Almada would work his players extremely hard. Having them go through 3 training sessions a day. Would he be able to convince the squad to keep working as hard after reaching the top of the mountain?
Some Pachuca players may be headed out the door, and in a weird way that could be a good thing for Almada. Luis Chavez, and Kevin Alvarez could be the first players to leave Pachuca to find homes in European clubs. Chavez is said to be signing with Porto for a 5 million dollar transfer fee. Alvarez was being followed by scouts during the Liga MX playoffs, but there’s still no news on his future yet. He could very well just get loaned out to Grupo Pachuca’s team in the Spanish second division Real Oviedo. This would force Almada to continue promoting players from the youth ranks to the first team. That may just be the best way for him to operate.
Does The National Team Need Him Right Away or Could He Look To Defend The Title?
Let’s say that he does become head coach of the national team. Would this be something that he would have to do right away or could he wait out another tournament with Pachuca? There is a Gold Cup set for next summer, and Mexico will be under a lot of pressure to win the tournament. Particularly if they happen to have a bad World Cup. If Tata Martino does in fact decide to leave his position as head coach of the Mexican National team there will be a sense of urgency to get a coach in as soon as possible.
Oddly enough because of the Gold Cup in 2023, and what it could represent for the Mexican National team Almada would not get a chance to defend his title with Pachuca unless he isn’t picked to take over as national team head coach. We may have just witnessed Memo Almada’s final game as Pachuca head coach last night. Although we’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case. The president of Pachuca coming out and saying that Almada has 4 years left on his deal may just be a warning to the Mexican federation letting them know they’ll have to pay for Almada if they want him to coach the national team.
