Was Sven the Strangest International Appointment of All Time?
Sven-Göran Eriksson got his marching orders from the Mexican football federation yesterday. Not a huge surprise after some dreadful results (Mexico should not be losing to Jamaica) and seems it was the 3-1 loss away to Honduras that put the final nail in Sven’s Mexican managerial coffin.
“The decision was made because we could not risk Mexico’s participation in the World Cup,” said federation president Justino Compean. Which was a polite way of saying the federation didn’t trust Sven to get them to South Africa.
And so arguably the strangest and worst interntational managerial appointment of all time comes to a close. Steve McClaren and Steve Staunton were bad choices for England and Ireland respectively, but at least the two men were English and Irish.
From the second Sven was appointed, his face didn’t really fit. Mexican football is passionate to say the least, while Sven has that air of icy calm about him. I always though he seemed like a substitute teacher just filling in because the real guy was running late.
And he didn’t even speak Spanish when he took the job. If Mexico has to go down the route of hiring a fashionably foreign manager, they could at least have found someone who spoke the lingo. To be fair to Sven he seems to have mastered it less than a year after taking the job. So at least he got something out of his Mexican adventure.
Well, that plus the usual sweet sweet compensation package. From Times Online:
It is believed that the Mexican federation will have to pay Eriksson about £2 million after dismissing him, the Swede’s third seven-figure payoff in three years. He is said to have received compensation of about
£3 million from the FA after standing down as England head coach in 2006 and another £1 million when he parted company with Manchester City.
So there you have it. Sven-Göran Eriksson: bad at international managemenet, good at getting paid to be sacked. Man’s a genius.
For more on the Mexican national team, visit Mexico World Cup Blog
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Comments
By James | April 3rd, 2009 at 9:58 am 
There were many factors that lead to his sacking. It was really just bad timing to hire him with almost no time (8 months) to prepare a really low on confidence Mexican side that suffered humiliating results with Hugo Sanchez.
Another reason his odd choices for sub and tactics, Nery Castillo very talented player, but hadn’t played in months gets thrown in in a very important game like against Honduras to what? Save us? Also he broke up successful attacking partnerships to experiment with new players in important games.
Last but not least I think his ultimate problem was the locker room. He couldn’t wrestle away authority from the old heads such as Rafa Marquez and his clique.
Once again it shows how incompetent the Mexican Federation is at timing and appointing good coaches. It also shows that you can’t leave people that no NOTHING about football in charge. Sven shouldn’t be leaving, the entire administration should!
Posted from 
United States
By James | April 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 am oops I meant:
know nothing* about football in charge
Posted from United States
By OhYes | April 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 am What a joke. The federation, not Sven. I think he’s a decent coach but why in the world was he put in this position?
Mexicans NEVER trusted him, never WANTED to trust him, never EXPECTED to trust him. Neither the players, the media, nor the people trusted this guy not because of his tactics, but because he’s a foreigner. That’s just how the people are. Lavolpe was a good coach and when he was appointed, a lot of people disliked the fact that he was from Argentina.
Because of the player’s mentality, and the media, I don’t think there is ANY coach who could do something with the NT, despite the fact that there are players with a lot of skill on there. But at least appoint someone who has a chance!
The federation should be completely cleaned out. As for Sven, he’s got his shit together. He’s laughing his ass off on his way home and I can’t blame the guy for it.
By miguel marin | April 3rd, 2009 at 11:52 am El problema que existe en mexico es mas de fondo, la contatación de Sven-Goran Eriksson fue el cumplimiento a un capricho de un directivo, en concreto del Sr. Vergara, que riciblemente es dueño de las Chivas del guadalajara, un equipo representativo y unico del futbol mexicano en donde solo juegan jugadores mexicanos, y este vendio la idea, que para cambiar la indiosincracia local, con la llegada de un entrenador triunfador europeo seria suficiente para dar el estiron que hace falta, sin considerar la falta de conocimiento del area de Concacaf, la falta del dominio del idioma español, la extrema frialdad con la que se maneja Sven, el manejo de vestidor al estilo ingles, donde carece del conosimiento de que el jugador latino no se caracteriza por ser recto y obediente sino mas bien hasta se refleja en el campo simulando faltas o siendo ilegal al querer engañar al arbitro cosa que en el futbol ingles no se refleja.el fut bol mexicano no cambiara estructuralmente hasta que se cuente con directivos visionarios que no pretendan contartar en este caso al sr. Aguirre solo para el proximo mundial sino que el contrato abarque hasta el 2014 para dar continuidad a un proyecto a largo plazo.
Posted from 
Mexico
By Daryl | April 3rd, 2009 at 1:06 pm Here’s the above comment Google Translated into English for our non-Spanish speaking readers:
The problem in Mexico is more substantial, the contatación of Sven-Göran Eriksson was the fulfillment of a whim of a manager, namely Mr. Vergara, who owns riciblemente Chivas of Guadalajara, a team representative and unique Mexican soccer where players play only Mexicans, and it sold the idea that local indiosincracia to change with the arrival of a triumphant European coach would be enough to provide the growth spurt is needed, regardless of the lack of knowledge of the area Concacaf, the lack of Spanish language, the extreme coolness with which he handles Sven, the management style of dressing English, which lacks the conosimiento that Latino players are not known for being straight and obedient but rather to be reflected in the blame or pretending to be illegal to deceive the referee by wanting something that English football is not no Mexican refleja.el foot ball until it is changed structurally with visionary leaders who do not intend here to tell you sir. Aguirre only for the next world but the contract covers up to 2014 to continue a long-term project.
By Ken | April 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm Well yeah, the Federation is a joke, but, we, the people, really had some hope in Sven.
Why? Because he’s foreign. Unlike most Mexican and Argentinian coaches, he had no ties to some corrupt people, like agents, media… which is a problem with the teams in the Mexican Football.
The bad thing was that Sven started managing without knowing anything about the players he’d be coaching. Even in his last match, his scheme was bizarre because he put many players in wrong positions, which led to disaster at Honduras.
Just my 2 cents 
By vic | April 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm The whole problem with Sven was that he didn’t know the teams he was going to face. He probably thought that he would just send out the best Europe-based players that Mexico have and that they’ll get the job done. Also, he didn’t seem to know his own team either. He would keep playing Vela and Gio when they had proved they just weren’t ready to be starters for the team. They are both really good players, but the experience wasn’t there. Then there was the whole Nery business. Another great player(I think probably the most talented Mexico player) but he didn’t even play for the clubs he was in. He went from Shaktar to Man City to Guadalara(I think) and back to Shaktar in less than a year. Yet, he still would start for the NT?
Take, for example Honduras. They have a smaller talent pool to choose from but Rueda wouldn’t call players who had just recovered from an injury or players who were not playing consistently for their clubs. He didn’t call up Costly a couple of dates back. He didn’t call Muma Bernardez either, who arrived at Anderlecht this past January, because he was not playing as much as Rueda would have liked.
As talented as Nery or Gio are, it’s still hard for a player to play in the NT for 90 minutes when they’ve maybe played that much the whole month for their clubs. I don’t know, I just think Sven got it all wrong.
PS: pretty good translation by google. You can actually understand it.
By alex | April 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm I DO NOT agree with OhYes in part. I live in Mexico and Im a great football fan. The fans, the media and everybody gave cheers to Sven when he got here. The media was asking for a coach with a different perspective of football and the federation got it. Sven got the respect from the Mexican Media because of his experience.I do not know why you say that Sven was never welcomed, since he was what everybody thought that our NT needed for that “extra push”. Obviously smiles for Sven were less and less as time passed by until nobody wanted him anymore. I really do think it was a combination of 3 things: Sven didn’nt know Mexican football (nor the players he was going to coach); the players themselves which didn’t show any extra efforts to get things done; and the Federation that, like Miguel Marin says…Football goes well beyond the stadiums onto political issues.
By the way Im glad that your team (USA) is getting better and better but they will never be CONCACAF’S GIANT!! VIVA MEXICO CABRONES!
Posted from Mexico
By Teodoro | April 3rd, 2009 at 4:08 pm I also live in Mexico and I agree with the before comment: many fans were glad that Mr. Eriksson came to coach our national team, we really hoped from someone outside the Mexican media came, the coaches we had before were very arrogant and mostly inept. Since the day he came he tried hard to learn Spanish, he was respectful of the people and press, and every weekend he went to the different stadiums of the Mexican League to see the players (something that the other national coaches seldom or never (the case of Hugo Sanchez) did). He brought his assistants, Hans Backe and Tord Grip (him I never saw after the day they were signed, he returned to Europe supposedly to watch the Mexican players who play in the European Leagues) and he also got two Mexican assistants who were in the 2006 team in Germany. The problem is that the team became very undisciplined: many players were ejected or given yellow cards, so he couldn’t repeat a starting lineup, and the younger players (Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos) were both out of shape always, and Sven insisted in starting both, it appeared that when they were on the field Mexico always had a player ejected or in disanvantage, because neither Vela or Giovanni never did anything. Also, there is a very nationalistic side in the Mexican people in particular, and many didn’t like a foreigner, and some players and media also were in that seame channel. But I agree with you: Sven Goran Eriksson is the smartest coach in the world, Luis Felipe Scolari (who turned down the job a couple of times) must be very angry, he also coould cash 3.5 millon dollars without dong anything.
Posted from Mexico
By James | April 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm @Miguel:
Si, Eriksson es buen tecnico y el no fue el problema. El problema es que muchos jugadores Mexicanos no entienden o conocen algo de tactica. Son muy simples en su manera de jugar.
Translation:
Yes Eriksson is a good coach and he wasn’t the problem. The problem is that too many Mexican players don’t know or understand anything about tactics, therefor can’t adapt to complex schemes. They are too simple in their way of playing.
P.S.
And it hurts me to say that, but it’s true. Mexico has too many problems going for it. The administration is absolutely stupid and the press is amazingly incompetent like the FMF. Also the players believe they are above the Mexican NT and treat it accordingly. I would be deeply saddened and mad if Mexico did NOT qualify, but also I would understand it and accept it.
Posted from United States
By alex | April 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm sven never had a chance, even before he stepped on the training field….some owners..manipulated, cheated and straight out threatened there way to get sven…and the “other” owners didnt like that…2…mexican football is ruled by some press..some tv stations…and the “owners”…basically comes down to $$$$…you have to pay to play…so the disgruntled owners (who got cheated/and didnt want sven)…actually wanted mexico to lose games (and even not make the world cup)….yes as insane as that sounds…can you imagine how angry you are for you to say…”i hope they dont qualify”…man…but anyways…
3….players…mexico thinks that with marquez, salcido, vela, gio, castillo etc etc (except guardado..he actually makes a difference)…other than that…they are our “saviors”…(yea right)…if marquez isnt wearing #4 or the captain armaband…you couldnt recongize him….but when he puts his barcelona jersey on…whoa!!…he turns into superman…and to tell you the truth…it all starts with him…he would of rather when back to spain than stand by his team (against jamaica..and a crucial game..points wise)..when ur captain…ur leader..and the man that a whole country looks up too…rather chooses spain over your country…well…that tells you right there all in itself….and against the US…enough said…..i could write a book all this…but anyways…
the US stands alone right in the concacaf….mexico is still strong…at home…the US can go win anywhere…cuba..recently el salvador…(good teams find a way to come back (and tie or win)…and im sorry to say…but the US will come into Mexico and beat us…
i hope im wrong…
By CHICO MENDES | April 4th, 2009 at 10:26 am CONGRATULATIONS, SVEN, YOU MUST BE IN THE ROCORD GUINNES LIKE THE MAN WHO EAR MORE MONEY WHITOUT DO NOTHING
Posted from 
Poland
By CHICO MENDES | April 4th, 2009 at 10:27 am CONGRATULATIONS SVEN!!!!!!!! YOU MUST BE IN THE RECORDS GUINESS AS THE MAN WHO EAR MORE MONEY DOING NOTHING
Posted from Poland
By CHICO MENDES | April 4th, 2009 at 10:28 am AND MEXICO LIKE THE MUST STUPID COUNTRY THAT PAYS FOR A OLD TRAINER WHO DOESNT DO NOTHING GOOD, AND PAY FOR IT
Posted from Poland
By Efisio | April 4th, 2009 at 11:11 pm I agree with James, how do you explain that the one who made Mexico’s best record during the 2006 WC Quals had been sacked (Ricardo La Volpe) or three coaches in less than 3 years (remember we’re talking about national teams, which play once a month or two months).
Mexican Federation’s first mistake was fire LaVolpe then they hired a coach who was lacking of experience and finally they thought that what Mexican team needed was a well known coach who managed in Europe.
Hugo Sanchez was brougth because he used to be a talented player and then Jesus Ramirez just because he won U-17 world cup but he had never managed at Mexican First Divison.
Do you think the coach is the problem? They could hire Mouriño, Aguirre or Aragones but surely they will fail because the Federation is not organised.
By Tre | April 5th, 2009 at 9:57 am Mourinho coaching Mexico? Talk about a recipe for comedy!
By James | April 5th, 2009 at 5:44 pm What the administration needs to do is resign and get some people that actually know something about football instead having good connections with the T.V. Stations.
Another thing that needs to happen is a long term plan needs to be put in place. Instead of the usual “How can Mexico get to this World Cup?” They should focus on establishing youth academies to get a stable base of talent for the future.
Posted from United States
By Augusto | April 5th, 2009 at 7:24 pm Hecy Chico Mendes, you are the stupid one rating a whole country as stupid for something like this.
Th real stupid one besides you, is the FMF president.
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