Victor Manuel Vucetich has been let go as the manager of the Mexican men's national team, ESPN Deportes reported on Thursday evening, just over a month after he was first appointed to the job.
Vucetich (above), who was appointed to the post on Sept. 12, revealed to ESPN Deportes that he had "effectively" been told he was no longer coach of El Tri. A report from Goal.com México states that current Club América coach Miguel Herrera has been appointed by Liga MX owners and the FMF to take over and guide Mexico in the team's World Cup qualification playoff against New Zealand.
Herrera would be the fourth coach for El Tri since the start of September, with Vucetich having replaced caretaker manager Luis Fernando Tena on Sept. 12, just days after Tena himself had replaced the fired José Manuel 'Chepo' de la Torre. Vucetich lasted only two games, though – a 2-1 win over Panama, their first home win in the Hexagonal, and a 2-1 defeat to Costa Rica. The defeat meant Mexico looked to be heading out of World Cup contention altogether, but the US national team's late heroics against Panama saw them scrape fourth place in the six-team tournament and a reprieve from elimination.
Herrera had been at helm at América since 2011 and recently guided the team to the Clausura 2013 title, the 45-year-old's first-ever title as a manager. He leaves Las Águilas in first place in the Apertura 2013 tournament, six points clear of their nearest rivals.
The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) has yet to issue a statement on a coaching change.
