If you checked in to social media this morning, you would have assumed Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre had been fired as Mexican national team coach. And when ESPN Deportes was briefly broadcasting Tomas Boy’s appointment as interim coach across their bottom third, you would have had confirmation. Yet throughout the day, there was a lively debate as to whether the initial reports were accurate, with some of the vast array of reporters beneath the Deportes umbrella issuing conflicting reports on Twitter - an editorial process implicitly erupting into the digital universe.
This evening, however, the Mexican Federation put all speculation to rest, confirming in a somewhat bizarre press conference that de le Torre is and will remain the coach.
The official word from the Federation’s website, which described the session the federation’s president and technical director held late Monday:
The man who led the session, president Justino Campeón, went on to describe meetings that were held between the national team director (Hector González Iñarritu), de la Torre, and de la Torre’s staff, conversations prompted by Mexico’s Gold Cup performance and the team’s inability to advance at the Confederations Cup. Only after those meetings did the development committee some to the conclusion to retain de la Torre.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t some stern words for Mexico’s coach. Iñarritu acknowledged the team is currently in a “difficult state” and the summer’s “objectives were not achieved.” Campeón went on to note the decision does “not at all justify the situation we are in,” and there’s “no excuse” for the team’s state.
That’s not the most ringing endorsement. In fact, Campeón went on to acknowledge de la Torre’s failure when calling this “a second chance,” saying the coach’s integrity and professionalism had earned it. At the same time, Campeón declined to say whether de la Torre would be judged on the Sept. 6 qualifier against Honduras, instead noting he sees de la Torre’s job in terms of 10 games (the entire final round of qualifying) instead of one.
It was a surreal way to end a surreal day. At one point this morning, de la Torre was proclaimed fired by a major cable channel. By the end of the day, the president of the FMF was speaking to reporters, and not with the typical overcooked bravado we’re used to seeing in empty votes of confidence. This was not a vote of confidence at all; rather, it was a honest reflection of where Mexico stands.
The main problems is many Tri fans won’t agree. For each person you find that feels Chepo deserves more time or the time isn’t available to switch mid-stream, you’ll find at least one person that thinks de la Torre’s current failures are enough, be they in World Cup Qualifying, the Confederations Cup, or the Gold Cup.
Now Chepo gets the chance to prove one group wrong.