Javier Aguirre facts for kids
Javier Aguirre Onaindía (nicknamed El Vasco, which means "The Basque") is a famous Mexican football manager and former player. He was a midfielder during his playing days. Currently, he is the manager of the Mexico national team.
Aguirre played for Mexico in the 1986 World Cup. He has managed the Mexican national team three times, leading them to the World Cup in 2002 and 2010. He also helped Mexico win the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup and reach the final of the 2001 Copa América. Later in his career, he managed the national teams of Japan and Egypt.
At the club level, Aguirre has managed six teams in Spain's top league, La Liga. He helped Osasuna finish fourth in 2006 and Atlético Madrid in 2008. He also led Atlético and Mallorca to the finals of the Copa del Rey cup competition. In 2021, he won the CONCACAF Champions League with Monterrey.
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About Javier Aguirre
Javier Aguirre was born in Mexico City on December 1, 1958. He got the nickname El Vasco because both of his parents came from the Basque Country in Spain. His mother was from Guernica and his father was from Ispaster. They moved to Mexico in 1950. Javier has a Spanish passport, which was helpful for his football career. He gave his three sons Basque names: Iker, Ander, and Iñaki.
Playing Football
Javier Aguirre was a talented midfielder during his playing career.
Club Teams
Aguirre started playing football in the youth academy of Club América. He made his professional debut in 1979. After a short time with the Los Angeles Aztecs, he returned to Club América. He helped them win the championship in the 1983–84 season by scoring a goal in the final game.
He then moved to Atlante for two years. After that, he played for the Spanish club Osasuna. In 1987, Aguirre came back to Mexico to join Guadalajara. He played over 100 games for Guadalajara before he stopped playing professionally in 1993.
Playing for Mexico
Aguirre played 59 games for the Mexico national team between 1983 and 1992, scoring 13 goals. He played in the FIFA World Cup when it was held in Mexico in 1986. In a quarter-final match against West Germany, he was sent off (meaning he had to leave the game). The game ended in a 0–0 tie and Mexico lost in a penalty shootout.
Becoming a Manager
After he stopped playing, Aguirre became a football manager.
First Coaching Jobs
His first managing jobs were with Atlante and then Pachuca. At Pachuca, he won his first championship as a manager, the Invierno 1999 title.
Managing Mexico (First Time)
On June 22, 2001, Aguirre became the manager of the Mexico national team. The team was struggling to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In his first game, Mexico beat their rivals, the United States. Mexico then qualified for the World Cup.
In July 2001, Aguirre led Mexico in the 2001 Copa América tournament in Colombia. They beat strong teams like Brazil and Uruguay before losing to the host team, Colombia, in the final. A year later, at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, his team won their group. However, they lost 2–0 to the United States in the Round of 16.
Coaching in Spain: Osasuna
On June 6, 2002, while still managing Mexico at the World Cup, Aguirre joined the Spanish club Osasuna in La Liga. He had played for this club before. In his first season, the team reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey cup.
In the 2004–05 season, Aguirre led Osasuna to the cup final, where they lost 2–1 after extra time. In the next league season (2005–06 La Liga), Osasuna finished in a fantastic fourth place. This was their best finish ever and meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
Coaching Atlético Madrid
On May 24, 2006, Aguirre signed a contract to manage Atlético Madrid. After his team finished fourth in 2008, which earned them a spot in the Champions League, he extended his contract. However, Aguirre was let go from Atlético Madrid on February 2, 2009, after a difficult period where the team earned only two points from five games.
Managing Mexico (Second Time)
On April 3, 2009, Aguirre was officially named the new manager of the Mexico national team for a second time. He said, "I am not a savior. I am here to help the team, to get back our identity, and to convince people that together we can do this."
His first game back was a World Cup qualifier against El Salvador, which Mexico lost 2–1. However, four days later, they won 2–1 against Trinidad and Tobago.
On July 9, 2009, during a 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama, Aguirre was involved in an incident where he kicked a Panamanian player. Both Aguirre and the player were sent off. Aguirre later apologized to the Mexican fans, media, and staff. He was suspended for three games.
On July 26, 2009, Aguirre led Mexico to win their fifth Gold Cup title. They beat the United States in the final. He then led Mexico to a comeback win against the US at the Estadio Azteca. On October 10, 2009, Mexico beat El Salvador 4–1, which meant they qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
On June 30, 2010, Aguirre resigned as Mexico's coach after the team did not reach the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Mexico finished second in their group but lost 3–1 to Argentina in the Round of 16. Some people criticized his decisions during the World Cup.
Coaching Real Zaragoza and Espanyol
On November 17, 2010, Aguirre became the manager of Real Zaragoza in Spain. He was dismissed on December 29, 2011, as the club was in the relegation zone.
On November 28, 2012, Aguirre was named manager of Espanyol, another Spanish club, which was at the bottom of the La Liga table. He successfully kept them from being relegated in the 2013–14 season. Aguirre announced he was leaving Espanyol on May 16, 2014.
Coaching Japan
In August 2014, Aguirre became the new manager of the Japan national team. At the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Japan won all three of its group matches without letting in any goals. However, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the United Arab Emirates. On February 3, 2015, the Japanese Football Association ended Aguirre's contract.
Coaching Al Wahda and Egypt
On June 18, 2015, Aguirre was hired as the new manager of Al-Wahda FC in the United Arab Emirates. On May 21, 2017, after leading Al Wahda to win the President's Cup championship, Aguirre decided to step down as manager.
In August 2018, Aguirre was appointed manager of the Egyptian national team. During the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which Egypt hosted, the team was eliminated by South Africa in the Round of 16. Because of this disappointing result, Aguirre was let go.
Coaching Leganés and Monterrey
In November 2019, Aguirre returned to La Liga, taking over Leganés. In July 2020, he stepped down after the club was relegated on the final day of the season.
In December 2020, Aguirre returned to Liga MX (Mexico's top league) for the first time since 2001, signing a two-year deal with Monterrey. On February 26, 2022, he was dismissed after a series of disappointing results.
Coaching Mallorca
On March 24, 2022, Aguirre returned to La Liga to manage Mallorca. The team was close to the relegation zone with nine games left. He managed to keep the team in the league on the final day by winning against his former club, Osasuna.
Nineteen years after reaching the final with Atlético Madrid, Aguirre led Mallorca to the 2024 Copa del Rey final. They lost on penalties to Athletic Bilbao after a 1–1 draw. On May 22, 2024, Aguirre and Mallorca decided to part ways.
Managing Mexico (Third Time)
On July 22, 2024, the Mexican Football Federation announced that Aguirre would be the new manager of the national team for the third time.
In November 2024, after his team lost 2-0 to Honduras, Aguirre was hit by a beer can, which caused a cut. Despite the injury, Aguirre focused on congratulating the winning team. The Mexican Football Federation and FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke out against the attack, and an investigation was promised.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Atlante | 1 February 1996 | 30 June 1996 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 17 | −5 | 18.18 | |
| Pachuca | 10 September 1998 | 20 June 2001 | 93 | 35 | 23 | 35 | 164 | 158 | +6 | 37.63 | |
| Mexico | 21 June 2001 | 1 July 2002 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 40 | 19 | +21 | 62.96 | |
| Osasuna | 1 July 2002 | 19 May 2006 | 177 | 66 | 49 | 62 | 207 | 221 | −14 | 37.29 | |
| Atlético Madrid | 23 May 2006 | 2 February 2009 | 131 | 61 | 31 | 39 | 206 | 147 | +59 | 46.56 | |
| Mexico | 3 April 2009 | 30 June 2010 | 32 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 60 | 24 | +36 | 59.38 | |
| Zaragoza | 18 November 2010 | 29 December 2011 | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 43 | 68 | −25 | 28.89 | |
| Espanyol | 28 November 2012 | 27 May 2014 | 69 | 22 | 18 | 29 | 79 | 88 | −9 | 31.88 | |
| Japan | 24 July 2014 | 2 February 2015 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 60.00 | |
| Al-Wahda | 18 June 2015 | 20 May 2017 | 78 | 34 | 21 | 23 | 154 | 108 | +46 | 43.59 | |
| Egypt | 1 August 2018 | 7 July 2019 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 7 | +18 | 75.00 | |
| Leganés | 4 November 2019 | 20 July 2020 | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 30 | 36 | −6 | 30.00 | |
| Monterrey | 7 December 2020 | 26 February 2022 | 53 | 23 | 17 | 13 | 75 | 44 | +31 | 43.40 | |
| Mallorca | 24 March 2022 | 22 May 2024 | 97 | 34 | 28 | 35 | 103 | 106 | −3 | 35.05 | |
| Mexico | 22 July 2024 | present | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 60.00 | |
| Total | 870 | 353 | 226 | 291 | 1,227 | 1,055 | +172 | 40.57 | — | ||
Awards and Achievements
Javier Aguirre has won several awards and achieved great things both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player
América
- Mexican Primera División: 1983–84
As a Manager
Pachuca
- Mexican Primera División: Invierno 1999
Osasuna
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2004–05 (meaning they reached the final but didn't win)
Al-Wahda
- UAE President's Cup: 2016–17
- UAE League Cup: 2015–16
Monterrey
Mallorca
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2023–24
Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2009
- Copa América runner-up: 2001
Images for kids
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Aguirre as Atlético Madrid manager in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Javier Aguirre para niños
