Herrera chosen to lead America revival
Reuters - Wednesday 16 November 2011, 21:26
Struggling Mexican giants
America named Miguel Herrera as their coach on Wednesday and
charged him with restoring the team to the top of the first
division.
Herrera comes in for Alfredo Tena, sacked last week along
with sporting vice-president Luis Alves after America finished
one from bottom of the standings, failing to make the eight-team
knockout phase of the Apertura championship.
"It's the greatest club in Mexico. My challenge is
the recovery of the team as a unit. We need results at once
because this team must recover the place they've had in
history," Herrera, 43, told a news conference.
Herrera, a former defender, has been most closely
associated with Atlante, having had four spells with them as a
player including retiring there and two as coach, from 2002 to
2004 and from last year until this appointment at America.
"I have it in my head to start off with a title... we'll
sit down to look at those transfer-listed players to see which
players can help us," he added.
"I'm not saying they're all staying or all going. I hope we
keep the majority of the squad and strengthen it."
America put their entire squad, including half-a-dozen South
American internationals, on the transfer list after their 3-1
defeat at Cruz Azul 11 days ago, with plans to revamp the team
by promoting youngsters from their junior ranks.
Mexico's richest club have traditionally relied on expensive
imports for their success in contrast to the policy of
maintaining an all-Mexican squad that has helped arch-rivals
Guadalajara finish top of the 2011 Apertura standings and made
them favourites for the title.
America, founded 95 years ago, had their best years in the
1980s when they won five of their 10 league titles, but only two
in the last nine years - Clausura in 2002 and 2005 - is a
meagre return for the millions of dollars pumped into the club
by Mexican media giant Televisa.