UPDATE 7/28, 3:21 pm: Femexfut has officially announced Herrera’s firing in a press conference as of 3pm. Read our coverage here.
El Piojo Herrera’s telenovela looks like it’s on the verge of ending. Following reports yesterday that Herrera punched popular TV Azteca commentator Christian Martinoli at the Philadelphia airport – a violation of the the Mexican Federation of Fútbol (Femexfut) code of ethics – Femexfut has been in a meeting all morning.
Media speculation has run rampant that the meeting is to decide on the coach’s fate, and sources from Femexfut tell us the executives are in a summit discussing who should replace Herrera as coach of the national team.
If he gets the boot, he will become the first Mexican coach to get fired after obtaining a title.
Apparently, Mexican officials have kept a close watch on him ever since his tweets in support of el Partido Verde, which drew a lot of negative press for the coach and the national team. Herrera’s aggression made news worldwide, and after a video showing part of the airport incidentmade it online, there was no more defending the colorful coach who was once beloved for his antics.
There are no clear candidates for the job if El Piojo is fired, but with a game coming on October 9th against the United States that awards a spot on the Confederations Cup, the replacement will have to come fast. Many believe it will be Gustavo Matosas, Atlas’ current coach or Portuguese Pedro Caixinha from Santos, who could serve as a club and national team manager for a while, just like El Piojo did when he initially took the job.
We’ll be following the story, so stay tuned for updates.
For more on how he got here, read our feature El Piojo Herrera’s Swift Fall From Grace.