MEXICO CITY (AP) — When he landed in Mexico to play for the Toros Neza 30 years ago, Antonio Mohamed used to go to see Pumas games. Now the Argentine coach will have the responsibility of being on the bench and trying to bring the university team back to the leading places.
Mohamed, 52, was introduced on Monday as the new coach of Pumas in relief by Rafael Puente, who was fired last week due to poor results.
The university students have just 11 points in 16th position with five games remaining on the regular schedule.
“Dreaming is free, every person without dreams has no future,” Mohamed said at a press conference. “We dream to the fullest, while there are possibilities we will fight for that.”
In Mexico the first four teams advance directly to the league for the title. The next eight meet in a reclassification to complete the quarterfinals.
Although Pumas is four places behind the last place in the league, it is only separated by one point from Atlas, which for now is 12th.
“The accounts are made at the end, not before, for now we have the illusion of competing and sneaking into the play-offs, when you enter that instance everything will be matched,” he added. “I’m excited, but I don’t arrive with a magic wand, we’re going from training to training and we hope to make history at this great club.”
Pumas is one of the four most popular teams in Mexico, but they haven’t been league champions since the Clausura 2011, the longest streak in that group, and their fans have begun to despair of their lack of prominence.
Unlike Puente, who arrived with little experience, Mohamed brings with him a resume that includes three league titles in Mexico, one with Tijuana, another in America and one in Monterrey.
“They look for me because I won in the three teams in Mexico where I was, it would be incredible to do it in a fourth, that’s where we come from, but I don’t like the term obligation, but there is a commitment to seek excellence and from that we will seek to be champions”, added the coach.
After ending his playing career, Mohamed made his debut as second division Zacatepec coach in 2003. In addition, from Tijuana, América and Monterrey, he has managed four other teams in the Mexican league.
In his country he managed Huracán, Colón and Independiente, he had a brief stint with Celta de Vigo in Spain and his last job was with Atlético Mineiro in Brazil.
“It’s a very nice challenge, when I came to live in Mexico in 1993, I lived here near (the stadium), in Copilco and I remember that I came walking on Fridays to see Pumas play,” recalled the Argentine. “Then I was always a rival, it’s true, but now that I’m on this side I hope to enjoy.”
That is what Pumas fans also expect.
