Mexican coach and Spanish football icon Javier Aguirre has happily admitted that he has many regrets about his behaviour during his career both as a player and a manager. Aguirre has highlighted one in particular that has stuck with him.
The veteran coach is well-liked in Spain for his amiable methods of expression and blunt honesty. Speaking to Relevo in a recent interview, Aguirre has revealed that he was not proud of himself as a player, who hit, kicked, and spat on the opposition, as well as intentionally injuring others. As a manager he has also admitted that he used to fly into negative rages when losing, but has now grown out of that.
He highlighted one particular occasion when he deliberately got a game he was losing abandoned.
“Many times. I am a person who regrets at the very moment that he does something that is not right. When I scold a player then I say to myself ‘I was wrong’ and I apologise. With the referees or with the press it also happens to me. I am going to tell you an anecdote that was the height of my regrets and has served me very well.”
“It was in Mexico as a coach at Pachuca, whose owner is the same as Oviedo. We were playing against Puebla. In minute two a striker from my team jumps, elbows an opponent and they send him off. In the 10th minute they send off a defender. In the 30 another direct red. At half-time, with eight players, we were losing by zero goals to three. At the restart they put the fourth and send off another player.”
“I approached a youngster, who was making his debut with us that day, and I told him ‘tell the referee that he’s a son of a bitch.’ He touched his shoulder like this and told him. The referee didn’t send him off because he knew that if he did the game was over. I told him to fake an injury, since he no longer had any changes…”
“The referee does not have the authority there, the doctor is the only one who decides if he can continue or not and he said that he could not, that he was injured. The game was over in the 70th minute. I felt so bad that when the game was over I apologised to the referee, to the opposing team and I went to the press and said, ‘sorry, I just did this, this and this.’ I felt a fantastic release and slept soundly that night.”
The Real Mallorca manager has done a fine job since coming in last season, saving them from relegation and guiding them to tenth place so far this season. They are already at 40 points.
The Islanders are delighted with Aguirre, as is star striker Vedat Muriqi, with whom the Mexican has a constant back and forth in the press.
