Hugo Sánchez

Hugo Sánchez

Personal information
Full name	Hugo Sánchez Márquez
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Manager (former Striker)

Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born July 11, 1958), popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi and Hugol, is the Mexican National Team's coach and Mexican former football striker who played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. As a member of the Mexico national team, he participated in three World Cups.

Hugo Sánchez played twelve seasons in the Spanish Primera División and is the second highest goalscorer in the history of that league. He also played for the Mexico national team for 17 years and participated in the World Cups of 1978, 1986, and 1994. He won the Pichichi Award five times, four of them consecutively, a record only second to Telmo Zarra's six trophies.

After winning two championships as head coach of the club Universidad Nacional and briefly with Necaxa, both teams in the Mexican Primera División, Sánchez was named head coach of the Mexican national team, with a goal to reach the World Cup 2010.

In 1999, the IFFHS voted him the 26th best footballer of the 20th Century, and the best footballer from the North America, Central America, and the Caribbean area.

Beginnings

Sánchez was born in Mexico. As a teenager, Sánchez played for the Mexico national football team in the 1975 Pan-American Games and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Having already played in over 80 international games, Sánchez signed as a youth player at the age of 18 for UNAM Pumas, a professional team representing Mexico's National University, where he completed a degree in Dentistry while keeping up his football career. That year, UNAM managed to get its first championship in the Mexican Football League. Two years later, he became top-scorer in the league with 20 goals. In 1979, UNAM agreed to exchange players during the off seasons with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The NASL played during the summer and the Mexican League played during the fall, winter and spring. UNAM loaned Sánchez to the Sockers in both 1979 and 1980 where he became a dominant striker for the Sockers, averaging nearly a goal a game.

Sánchez' five seasons with UNAM were the team's golden years. In his last season with the team, Hugo again became the top-scorer in a tie with his teammate Cabinho and UNAM won its second championship and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Career in Spain

After five successful seasons in Mexico, with 99 goals to his name, Sánchez drew the attention of several Spanish sides, and signed with Atlético Madrid in 1981. He turned down an offer to play for Arsenal FC, a prominent English soccer team. It took him a while to find his feet in La Liga, but by the 1984-85 season he was scoring regularly with a team that won the Copa del Rey, finished in second place in the Spanish League and won the Spanish Super Copa. That year Hugo also won his first Pichichi trophy for being the most prolific scorer in the league.

At the high-point of his career, he signed for Real Madrid in 1985 and played with players such as Camacho, Butragueño, Gordillo, Schuster, Valdano and Míchel. This team won five consecutive league titles (from 1985-86 to 1989-90), the Copa del Rey in 1989, and the UEFA Cup in 1986. During those five years, Sánchez garnered four consecutive Pichichi trophies, scoring 207 goals in 283 games. He scored 27 or more goals in four consecutive seasons between 1986 and 1990, including 38 goals in the 1989-90 season, tying the single-season record set in 1951 by Telmo Zarra and earning the European Golden Boot award to the best scorer in Europe. Overall, he scored 23 goals in 45 European Cup games.

In 1990, Sánchez returned to his native Mexico for a season, before playing for a variety of clubs in Spain, Austria and the USA (he played for the Dallas Burn in the inaugural year of Major League Soccer, becoming one of two people, along with Roy Wegerle, to play outdoor soccer in both the NASL and MLS). He finished his career playing for Atlético Celaya with Butragueño and Míchel, his old colleagues from Real Madrid.

Real Madrid career statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Real Madrid	1991–92	8	2	1	0	1	1	10	3
	1990–91	19	12	1	1	3	5	23	18
	1989–90	35	38	3	1	6	3	44	42
	1988–89	35	27	7	3	7	5	49	35
	1987–88	36	29	7	3	6	3	49	35
	1986–87	41	34	7	3	6	6	54	43
	1985–86	33	22	11	5	5	2	43	29
Career Total		207	164	37	16	34	25	283	205

National Team International career

In comparison to his "domestic" club success, Sánchez did not have a successful international career with the Mexico national team. He played 60 matches and scored 29 goals for the Mexican national team, but his years as a Mexican international coincided with a difficult period for the nation's football. Mexico did not participate in the World Cup of 1982 and 1990, in which Sánchez would have most likely been part of the Mexican squad. He scored one goal in eight presentations in the three World Cups in which he competed and was never selected to the "Best XI" World Cup squads. Sánchez' brash personality is often cited as the reason why he did not play in the 1994 World Cup, purportedly as a result of internecine frictions between Hugo and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF).

Retirement

Sánchez retired from Spanish football on May 29, 1997, playing with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium - the stadium that witnessed most of his glory throughout his career. He scored a hat trick in the 4-1 victory over Paris St. Germain. His last official game was in the 1998 World Cup preliminaries where he just touched the ball as a symbolism of his retirement.

Legacy

His trademark was to perform a celebratory somersault after each goal he scored, honouring his sister, who was a gymnast and participated in the Montreal Olympics. He is also known for acrobatic goals, some involving his trademark windmill kick, a product of his own early training in gymnastics. To date, he has been the most successful Mexican soccer player to have played in Europe, in terms of years played, goalscoring, and achievements.

For many Mexicans, he is a symbol of national pride. Sánchez' life has also generated plenty of anecdotes. One such anecdote involves an instance when Sánchez was an infant, and while being carried by his father, the older Sánchez proclaimed to a friend that "this boy will go on to become the greatest Mexican football player of all time." While factually questionable, such stories serve to further the ex-soccer player's significance as a cultural icon.

Coaching career

Sánchez won two championships as head coach of the club UNAM Pumas, and briefly managed Necaxa, both teams in the Mexican first division. In 2006, Sánchez was named head coach of the Mexico national team, and is in charge of leading Mexico through the qualification process for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

During his coaching career especially, Sánchez has been known for his volatile temperament and willingness to speak candidly, often expressing strong emotions and opinions, a trait that engenders equally emotional and strong responses from those he criticizes. He has a long-standing feud between with former Mexican National Coach, Ricardo Lavolpe. When asked their views toward him, Mexicans may assert they are "Huguistas" (supporters of Hugo) or "anti-Huguistas" (anti-Hugo).

Sánchez's first match as Mexico coach was a 2-0 loss to the United States in Phoenix, Arizona before Mexican fans in February, 2007. Sánchez recorded his first coaching victory against Venezuela (3-1) in front of 67,000 "Tri" fans in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium. Hugo's first game in Mexico took place against Paraguay in Monterrey, Mexico on March 25, 2007, which Mexico won 2-1. A few days later on March 28, 2007, Mexico defeated Ecuador 4-2 in Oakland, California at McAfee Coliseum.

In June, 2007 Sánchez coached Mexico in the 2007 edition of the Gold Cup, his first official competition. México reached the final June 24, 2007 and lost it against USA (2-1).

On June 27, 2007, In the opening game of the Copa América 2007 held in Venezuela, Sánchez led the Mexican National Team to a stunning 2-0 win over 5-time world champions, Brazil. Hugo Sánchez first major victory of his coaching career.

After glancing through the first round of the tournament, Hugo led the team to reach the semi-finals and battle against the Argentine squad, losing 3-0. Finally Mexico ended 3rd place of the competition by beating Uruguay 3-1. In August Sanchez announced that Mexico would permanently, or at least in his time coaching the team drop their infamous green home kit, thereby replacing it with their white away kit, meaning that their away kit would be red.

On march 2008, Hugo had some very upsetting results , a tie with Australia and Finland . The bad results continued in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualification, with a tie with Canada and a loss with Guatemala. Finally his only victory coming against Haiti with a 5-1 victory. However due to goal difference Mexico was eliminated from the Pre Olympi qualifying tournament. The FMF ( Federacion Mexican de Futbol) will decide Hugo Sanchez's fate due to his poor performance in the senior and U-23 level. The press has speculated that Hugo Sanchez will be fired.

Managerial stats

Last updated December 11 2007 [1] [2]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %	GF	GA	+/-
UNAM1 ²		2000	2005	202	89	63	50	56.44%	328	295	+33
Necaxa		2006	2006	7	2	4	1	35.71%	8	11	-3
Mexico3		2006	present	26	14	9	3	59.62%	45	32	+13
Career				235	105	76	54	56.17%	381	338	+43

¹Includes results from Copa Libertadores 2003
²Includes results from CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2005
³Includes results from 2000 U.S. Cup

Honours

National Championships

• 4 Mexican Leagues (UNAM, as player, seasons 1976-77 and 1980-81; as coach, Clausura 2004 and Apertura 2004).
• 5 Spanish Leagues (Real Madrid, seasons 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90).
• 2 Copas del Rey (Atlético Madrid 1985; Real Madrid 1989).
• 4 Supercopas de España (Atlético Madrid 1985; Real Madrid 1988, 1989 and 1990).

International Cups

• 1 CONCACAF Champions' Cup (UNAM 1980).
• 1 Copa Interamericana (UNAM 1981).
• 1 UEFA Cup (Real Madrid, season 1985-86).
• 1 CONCACAF Gold Cup (Mexico national football team 1977).
• 1 CONCACAF Champions' Cup (Club América 1992).
• 1 Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu (As UNAM coach).

Individual Honours

• 1 European Golden Boot (season 1989-90).
• 5 Pichichis (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990).
• Top scorer of the Mexican League (1978).
• 2 times best foreigner in the Spanish League (1987 and 1990).
• Best Sportist of Mexico of the 20th century.
• Best footballer of Mexico of the 20th century according to IFFHS.
• Best footballer de North America and Central America of the 20th century by IFFHS.
• Only Mexican who appeared in Pelé's 125 Top Living Football Players List in March 2004.
• Playable character in videogame FIFA 06, FIFA 07 and FIFA 08 in the Classic XI team, alongside legends Franz Beckenbauer, Eric Cantona, Gheorghe Hagi and Zico.
• Appointed by FIFA as "World Ambassador" by Unicef.

Personal life

Sánchez is the son of Héctor Sánchez, who played for Asturias and Atlante. Hugo Sánchez is married to Isabel Martín and has two children, a son and an older daughter from his previous marriage. His son, Hugo Sánchez Portugal was a football player and has played in UNAM Pumas like him.

Sánchez was appointed as the official FIFA/SOS Ambassador for Mexico, joining Wayne Rooney (Ambassador for England), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), and fifty others in fund raising for the official 2006 FIFA World Cup Charity.

On September 1, 2007 Hugo Sanchez inaugurated a street with his name in Puebla, central Mexico, before a thousand of the locals around there.

External links

• Hugo Sanchéz Profile and Statistics
• Hugo Sánchez
• Pumas UNAM
• Matches in European Cups

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