Javier Aguirre

Lore & Background

Aguirre was born in Mexico City on 1 December 1958. He earned the nickname El Vasco due to his parents’ Basque heritage. His mother hailed from Guernica and his father from Ispaster; the couple migrated to Mexico in 1950. Through them, Aguirre qualified for a Spanish passport. He gave his three sons traditional Basque names: Iker, Ander, and Iñaki. As a player, he began his professional career with Club América, making his first-team debut in 1979 before moving to the Los Angeles Aztecs the following year. After a brief stint in the United States, he returned to his former club, where he cemented his place as a regular starter. His second spell with Club América culminated in the 1983–84 championship title, in which he scored in the decisive final. Aguirre then joined Atlante, spending two seasons before heading to Spain to sign with Osasuna. His time in La Liga was disrupted by a serious injury, and after just a year abroad, he returned to Mexico to play for Guadalajara, where he made over 100 appearances before retiring. He earned 59 international caps for Mexico between 1983 and 1992, scoring 13 goals. He was a member of the squad at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where he appeared in the quarter-final against West Germany and was sent off, becoming the first Mexican player to be dismissed in a World Cup fixture.

Reader's Guide

Upon retiring, Aguirre transitioned into management. He first managed Atlante and then Pachuca, where he won his first title as manager, the Invierno 1999 championship. On 22 June 2001, he was appointed manager of the Mexico national team, replacing Enrique Meza. He coached Mexico at the 2001 Copa América, where they lost the final 1–0 to the hosts. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Mexico topped their group but were eliminated in the round of 16 by the United States. On 6 June 2002, while leading Mexico at the World Cup, Aguirre agreed to coach La Liga club Osasuna. In his first season, the club reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. In 2004–05, he guided Osasuna to the cup final, where they lost 2–1 after extra time to Real Betis. In the following league season, Osasuna finished 4th and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. On 24 May 2006, Aguirre signed a one-year contract to replace Pepe Murcia at Atlético Madrid. After a fourth-place finish in 2008, he extended his deal. He was dismissed on 2 February 2009 after a run of two points from five games. On 3 April 2009, Aguirre became the new manager of the Mexico national team again, replacing Sven-Göran Eriksson. He led Mexico to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup title. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mexico finished second in their group but lost 3–1 to Argentina in the round of 16. Aguirre resigned after the tournament. On 17 November 2010, he became manager of Real Zaragoza. On 29 December 2011, he was relieved of his duties. On 28 November 2012, he was appointed manager of Espanyol, who were 20th in La Liga at the time. On 16 May 2014, he announced his departure. In August 2014, he became manager of the Japan national team. At the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Japan was knocked out in the quarter-final by the United Arab Emirates. On 3 February 2015, the Japan Football Association terminated his contract after Spanish anti-corruption investigators indicted him for alleged involvement in a match-fixing investigation. On 18 June 2015, he was hired as manager of Al-Wahda FC. On 21 May 2017, after leading Al Wahda to the President's Cup championship, he stepped down. In August 2018, he was appointed manager of the Egypt national team. During the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt was eliminated by South Africa in the Round of 16, and Aguirre was sacked. In November 2019, he returned to La Liga, taking over Leganés.

Did You Know?

• Aguirre was born in Mexico City, not in the Basque Country.
• He never played for or managed Tigres UANL.