The hero (or martyr?) that no one asked for but everyone expected
There he was, Diego Cocca, getting off the plane in Guadalajara with a smile that can only be described as “brave” (or perhaps “desperate”). The new technical director of Atlas arrived to “save” a team that currently plays soccer as if the goals were magnets and the ball, metal. What better time for a triumphant return than when your club is in 12th place, with a defense more leaky than a Gruyère cheese?
“Happy to be back at my club,” Cocca said, while probably thinking: “At what point did I say yes to this?”. The Argentine confessed that he was “very calm at home”, which, translated from technical language, means: “I had a peaceful life until fate (or a desperate president) threw me back into the volcano.”.
The impossible mission: make a team that gives away goals like sweet bread competitive
With 20 goals against (yes, TWENTY), Cocca promised to “put the team in the place it should be.” Be careful, he did not specify if that place is the upper part of the table… or simply outside the basement. His predecessor, Gonzalo Pineda, resigned after a 3-0 loss against Pachuca, a match that, according to rumors, made fans cry… with laughter (or pain, depending on how you look at it).
The coach, with a mixture of optimism and resignation, added: “If one could choose, I wish I had been somewhere else.” Translation: “I would much rather direct a team that does not use defense as decoration”. But, like a good soldier (or gladiator), he accepted the challenge. His debut will be this Sunday against Querétaro, where he will have the opportunity to show if his technical magic can turn a sieve into a wall.
Ironic bonus: Cocca mentioned that “the one at the top decides.” It is not clear if he was referring to God, the club president, or the fate he enjoys watching him suffer. What we do know is that, in football, miracles exist… but they usually charge a commission.
What’s next? If Cocca manages to get Atlas out of the hole, they should name him patron saint of teams in crisis. If not, well… there will always be the consolation that at least he tried to save the unsalvageable.
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