The Argentinian Diego Cocca announced this Friday that he will resign as coach of the two-time champion Atlas at the end of the Apertura 2022 tournament of
Mexican soccer and discarded the rumors that link him as the new technical director of Sporting de Gijón of the Spanish second division.
“There will always be talk of possibilities, especially when a coach leaves a place successfully, but (Sporting) is not what I am thinking, it is not what moves me at the moment. What moves me is closing well with this team and make it clear to the people of Atlas that I am leaving so that the institution continues to grow and not to have another project”, explained the 50-year-old strategist.
The Mexican press reported before Cocca’s announcement that the Argentine would leave Atlas to manage Sporting de Gijón; Both cadres are owned by the Mexican Orlegi Group, led by businessman Alejandro Irarragorri.
“We don’t have any work from another party because we are not interested in thinking about anything other than the Atlas. Its time will come, hopefully they will give us the vacation we need because it would be good for us, after that we will continue working and all the projects that are for continue to grow will be evaluated; this is not the time to think about it,” added Cocca.
Last December, the technical director broke an Atlas drought of more than 70 years without lifting a League title and last May he gave the Rojinegros their first bi-championship, in addition to the Champion of Champions trophy. However, in this Apertura 2022 he has the Guadalajara team in penultimate place in the table one day from the end of the regular phase, with no aspirations to fight for the title.
Cocca assured that his decision to end his cycle at the Atlas next Saturday, October 1, on the last day of the regular phase of the championship when his team receives Necaxa at its stadium was for the good of the institution.
“I made a brave decision. The easiest thing would have been to stay and give the board the responsibility of kicking out a two-time champion coach, which would not have been pleasant for me or for them. That’s why you have to enjoy this moment, part of the transformation What we did is not to see the Atlas as synonymous with bad news but with joys like the one we will experience on Saturday,” he said.
EFE
