Javier Aguirre

Javier Aguirre

Personal information
Full name	Javier Aguirre Onaindía
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Atlético Madrid

Javier Aguirre Onaindía (born December 1, 1958 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a former Mexico national football team player and coach, currently working with Atlético Madrid. He is widely considered in Mexico as the best Mexican coach currently in charge of a team.

Playing career

Aguirre "EL VAZCO" played for a number of clubs in Mexico including América, Chivas and CF Atlante. He also played outside Mexico with Osasuna in Spain and Los Angeles Aztecs in the United States.

He made 59 appearances for the Mexico national team between 1983 and 1992, scoring 13 goals. He played in the FIFA World Cup in 1986.

Managerial career

After retiring as a player he took up coaching, first with CF Atlante and the CF Pachuca where he won the Invierno championship in 1999. In 2002 he was the manager for the Mexico national team in the World Cup.

He was then hired to coach Osasuna in the Spanish La Liga, where he has been one of the most consistent coaches in the past years, mostly due to the achievement of all the goals he sets. After being hired to save Osasuna in 2002 he did so and stayed in the team until 2006, when he got them a spot in the Champions League. This overwhelming success on such a small budgeted team earned him the spot in Atletico de Madrid's bench. On the first season (2006-2007) his task was to get the team back in a European competition and he did so by putting Atletico de Madrid in the UEFA cup. The second year's goal (2007-2008) was a more ambitious one, the Champions League. After an irregular season Atletico de Madrid got a ticket to the UEFA Champions League under Aguirre's command.

Continuity

Despite breaking numerous records, such as goals scored at home and putting Atletico de Madrid back in the top 4 teams in La Liga for most of the season after 12 years, some fans have criticized Aguirre for what they called an irregular season in 2007-2008. Speculation about him leaving Atletico de Madrid and going back to coach Mexico increased when he decided not to talk about his continuity after the decisive match where Atletico de Madrid qualified for the champions league after over a decade. He finally decided to stay and coach his first champions league and the 2008-2009 season. Whilst touring Mexico with his Atletico de Madrid team in preparation for the new La Liga season 2008 - 2009, Aguirre was quoted on ESPN programme, Futbol Picante, as stating his 'dream' to manage in the English Premier League one day.

External links

• Playing statistics at National Football Teams