Argentine managers who have won championships in Mexico

No matter what happens this Sunday in the final between Atlas and León, a coach will join the privileged list of Argentines who have been crowned champions in Mexico.

The Apertura 2021 is the 51st season to be played in Mexico since the inauguration of short tournaments, and there are only five Argentinean coaches who have managed to become champions in this format.

This Sunday, that list will be extended to six when Diego Cocca, in charge of Atlas, and Ariel Holan, in the bench of León, will define the champion of the current season.

Argentine managers who have been champions

In terms of tournaments, an Argentine coach has been crowned champion seven times, but Antonio Mohamed has lifted the title three times.

El Turco was champion with three different teams: Xolos, América and Monterrey.

These are the Argentinean managers who have been champions in the history of short tournaments in Mexico:

Apertura 2012: Alberto Jorge, Toluca

Clausura 2003: Daniel Pasarella, Monterrey

Apertura 2005: Américo Gallego, Toluca

Apertura 2012: Antoni Mohamed, Xolos

Apertura 2014: Antonio Mohamed, América

Clausura 2017: Matías Almeyda, Chivas

Apertura 2019: Antonio Mohamed, Monterrey

Diego Cocca can also achieve another accomplishment

Atlas manager will have the chance to make his club champion as a manager, something that did not achieve as a player.

The Foxes' coach wore the red and black jersey from 1999 to 2001, enough time to conquer the hearts of Atlas fans.

As a player, Diego was unable to become a champion with Atlas, but now, as a coach, he has the opportunity to end the curse of seven decades without a championship for the foxes.

Just last year, Guardianes 2021 tournament, saw Peruvian Juan Reynoso make history by leading Cruz Azul to the championship after a 23-year drought.

As a player, Reynoso had won the last title won by Cruz Azul, in Winter 97, against León.

The following are some of the managers who managed to win championships in short tournaments for the teams they played for during their professional careers:

Ricardo Ferretti/Pumas

Hugo Sánchez/Pumas

Benjamín Galindo/Santos

Daniel Guzman/Santos

Luis Fernando Tena/Cruz Azul

José Manuel de la Torre/Chivas

José Guadalupe Cruz/Atlante

Guillermo Vázquez/Pumas

Juan Reynoso/Cruz Azul

Second leg match

The second leg, the crucial match, will be played at the Jalisco Stadium on Sunday, December 12 at 20:15 hrs. This will be the first time in history that Atlas will play a second leg of the final at the Jalisco Stadium.

Atlas have a golden opportunity to break the seven-decade drought of not being Mexican soccer champions and will have the support of their fans, who have been loyal to them throughout all this time.