NATAL, BRAZIL – JUNE 13: Head coach Miguel Herrera of Mexico looks on from the sideline in the first half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Mexico and Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas on June 13, 2014 in Natal, Brazil. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
2015By Phillip Bupp on

Ed Note: The following appears courtesy Bloguin’s international soccer site 32 Flags.

After managing for his job during the CONCACAF Gold Cup and successfully keeping his job after winning the tournament, Mexico manager Miguel Herrera has been fired less than 48 hours after the Gold Cup win due to punching a journalist at Philadelphia International Airport.

ESPN’s John Sutcliffe reported the news confirming Herrera was fired. There were rumors that he would be as early as Tuesday morning and the Mexican Football Federation officially announced the news in the afternoon.

It was reported that Herrera punched TV Azteca reporter Christian Martinoli at the airport. Martinoli has been critical of Herrera in the past and it’s assumed that this was a possible reason. A video from Univision Noticias shows a confrontation between Martinoli and Herrera’s daughter and Herrera stepped in but after watching this video a few times, I didn’t see a punch. Apparently something happened before or after this video was taken since the Mexican Federation found it serious enough to fire Herrera.

Another video, also from Univision via ESPN Deportes, shows Herrera and Martinoli getting into it while in line at the airport.

Here is what I’m confused about. With all this talk about airport security and the seriousness of the TSA where you’re waiting for hours and can get pulled out of line for the simplest of things, how on earth did this happen and nobody at security pulled anyone out of line?

This is certainly going to create a lot of new storylines for the Confederations Cup playoff. The USMNT struggled in the later stages of the Gold Cup and while it seemed like Mexico was hitting on all cylinders, it seems as if they’re back at square one with Herrera’s sacking. I must say, seeing Herrera at the Gold Cup Final Sunday night, Herrera seemed happy and at ease after winning the Gold Cup, but given his emotional nature, it seemed that he could go from happy to upset (after being asked a question he didn’t like) and back to happy very rapidly. That kind of unpredictability may have been the cause of what happened but I do know his sacking today shocked a lot of people, especially when it seemed like after months of uncertainty regarding Herrera’s status, he got fired when it seemed like he was most certain he was keeping his job.

(Univision Noticias)

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