Enrique Meza

Enrique Meza

Enrique Meza
Personal information
Full nameEnrique Meza Enriquez
Date of birthMarch 3, 1948
Place of birthMexico City, Mexico
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
none
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1967–1975Cruz Azul
1975–1977UANL
1980–1981Cruz Azul
Teams managed
1982–1983Cruz Azul
1992–1995Cruz Azul
1995–1996Morelia
1996–1997Toros Neza
1997–2000Toluca
2000–2001Mexico
2002Atlas
2003Cruz Azul
2005Toluca
2006–2009Pachuca
2009–2012Cruz Azul
2010Mexico (interim coach)
2012–2013Toluca
2013–Pachuca
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Enrique Meza Enríquez (born March 3, 1948 in Mexico City) is a long-standing, internationally renowned Mexican football coach and technical manager, and is coach and manager of México Premier League club, Pachuca. Prior to pursuing a career in coaching, he was a goalkeeper for Cruz Azul. He retired in 1976. Popularly called "Ojitos" because of his sharp eyes, Meza and Miguel "Superman" Marin, the Argentine, were goalkeepers for Cruz Azul. His son Enrique Maximiliano Meza is a well-regarded coach in Mexico and globally.

Coaching career

Beginnings

Notably, Meza has been the coach of several professional soccer teams in the Mexico premier league and the Mexico national football team#Selección de fútbol de México (Mexico national team). His career has been filled with impressive successes and disappointments. Meza started his coaching career in the first division Mexico league by coaching Cruz Azul from 1982 to 1983 and from 1992 to 1995. He led Cruz Azul to the Mexico league final in 1994, but lost. The next year he switched to coach Monarcas Morelia.

Enrique Meza with Edison "Edson" Arantes do Nascimento: Pele.

Crucially, it was not until 1996 that his coaching truly started showing its capturing potential. His new team, Toros Neza, had a distinct style of football offensive play, resulting in their scoring numerous goals. Interestingly, during that 1996, his Toros Neza team made it to the final, but lost to Chivas de Guadalajara by a high score.

Three times league Champion

Soon after losing the final, he announced that he was leaving to coach Club Toluca. His coaching proved to be very successful and spectacular. Meza was what Toluca needed, and the club became champion on three occasions: Verano 1998, Verano 1999 and Verano 2000, in just two years. In 2000 Meza left Club Toluca to coach the Mexico national team. The performance of the team was below expectations, and he resigned after only few months of accepting the appointment. In 2006 Meza took the coaching position at Pachuca Football Club.

South American and CONCACAF Titles

After a very bad start, Meza slowly transformed the team, leading Pachuca Football Club to its first Copa Sudamericana championship. This made C.F. Pachuca the first time Mexico won a CONMEBOL title. In 2007 Meza took C.F. Pachuca to their second CONCACAF: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football title, which entitled the team to participate in the World Club Cup, and lead C.F. Pachuca to its fifth league title. On 29 August 2007, his team won its first Superliga title, after defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.

FIFA Club World Cup

In April, 2008, Pachuca reclaimed the CONCACAF Champions Cup and secured a berth for the Japanese hosted 2008 FIFA Club World Cup held in December 2008. Pachuca finished fourth after winning 1 match with 2 losses. Meza managed Pachuca to a second final in Clausura 2009, but he lost his second final against Ricardo Ferretti of Pumas UNAM (first loss against Guadalajara while coaching Toros Neza) by aggregate score 2-3.

On June 1, 2009 Meza finished his contract with Pachuca; and some members of the media linked Meza to Cruz Azul. Meza's results have made him one of the greatest coaches in the Mexico League, making him the fourth most successful coach in the league's history. Cruz Azul's president, Guillermo Alvarez, Confirmed that Enrique Meza and Cruz Azul had reached an agreement - for what would be his fourth time as coach of Cruz Azul five years later. Enrique Meza returned to Cruz Azul with a new challenge and determination of giving Cruz Azul a title. Since the 1997 Mexico League Winter Tournament Cruz Azul have not won a title.

Mexico coach vs World Champions: Spain

On July 28, 2010 he was selected as interim coach of the Mexico national team, after Javier Aguirre left the position. He gained new, endearing wide appeal for his only game as interim coach on 11 August 2010 at Mexico's hallowed home of football - Azteca Stadium - because he tactically got a 1-1 draw against the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain.

2012 Mexico Apertura league

With the Mexico Clausura - closing - first half of the year football league ending in May 2012, Meza finished his term as head coach and technical director of Cruz Azul on Tuesday 15 May 2012. And on Friday 18 May 2012, Toluca Football Club hired Enrique Meza as their new coach and technical director for the 2012 Apertura - opening - second half of the year Mexico League.

Subsequently, Meza led Toluca to come first in the 2012 Liga MX by points, but lost out to Tijuana in the final championship match of the playoffs involving the premier 8 ranked teams of the League.

Return to Pachuca

On Tuesday 3 September 2013, in a strategic move, the management of Pachuca Football Club held a press conference and announced that Meza was coming in as new technical director, coach and manager of the distinguished Hidalgo club. Meza took over from Gabriel Caballero who served as coach of Pachuca Football Club from November 2012 to 2 September, 2013.

Titles and Honours

Picture gallery

External links