Mexico City’s early Rafael Márquez era has opened without a win in four friendlies, but two of the country’s most recognisable former forwards, Hugo Sánchez and Carlos Hermosillo, have urged supporters and football officials to give the new national-team project room to develop.
Key takeaways
- Mexico have not won any of their first four warm-up matches under Rafael Márquez.
- Hugo Sánchez says friendlies are for assessing players rather than judging a coach on tournament-level results.
- The former Real Madrid striker appealed to fans not to whistle or boo El Tri.
- Carlos Hermosillo described the squad’s transition as a process that cannot be completed quickly.
- Hermosillo called on Mexican football’s leadership to allow Márquez to see out the rebuilding work.
A call for perspective around El Tri
Sánchez, whose playing career made him one of Mexico’s most decorated football figures, said the context of the opening fixtures matters. In his view, preparation games should be treated as opportunities for the technical staff to inspect the squad, not as finals demanding immediate answers.
“These are friendlies and preparation matches, so they have to be understood in that way,” Sánchez said. “They are not competitive matches and it is not a World Cup final. Rafa is beginning a new cycle and he needs support.”
He also directed his message towards the Mexican public, asking them to stand behind the side whether its performances are strong, average or poor. Sánchez argued that hostile energy should be aimed at Mexico’s opponents rather than its own players.
“Mexicans must support the national team whether it plays well, reasonably or badly,” he said. “Please do not whistle or boo our team. That energy should go against the sides playing Mexico.”
Hermosillo urges officials to protect the transition
Hermosillo echoed the appeal for calm, framing Márquez’s start as a generational handover rather than a short-term experiment. He said changes to a national side take time and should not be measured as though Mexico were already regular World Cup winners.
“We need calm and patience, and we must understand that this is a rebuilding process,” Hermosillo said. “A renewal of that kind does not happen overnight.”
The former striker questioned the scale of expectations surrounding El Tri, noting that Mexico have neither won the World Cup nor gone beyond the fifth match at the tournament, yet are often judged as if they had.
For Hermosillo, that patience must be matched in the boardroom. He said Márquez should be bold enough to maintain the transition regardless of results, while those running Mexican football must resist the familiar temptation to make a coaching change after only a month or two.
“Rafa has to commit to this renewal whatever happens,” Hermosillo said. “The directors and those responsible for the game have to respect a full process, rather than changing the coach after one or two months.”
