Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 5y

Mexico's Hirving Lozano calls Gerardo Martino 'best for the national team' - Lozano

PSV Eindhoven winger Hirving Lozano is in full support of the Mexican federation (FMF) in its efforts to persuade Atlanta United's Gerardo Martino to become the next head coach.

"I think he is a great coach, so hopefully he can come and it will be the best for the national team," Lozano told reporters on arrival in Mexico City in the early hours of Sunday morning, with Martino heavily linked to the position.

Lozano is joining up with the Mexico squad for friendlies against Costa Rica (Oct. 11) and Chile (Oct. 16), with Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti taking temporary charge as the search goes on for a new head coach.

Martino has denied having conversations about the job with the FMF, with Iran manager Carlos Queiroz also having been linked to the position.

Former Chivas manager Matias Almeyda has been ruled out of the reckoning, with the Argentine set to be announced as the new manager of Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes.

Chivas winger Isaac Brizuela said on Monday that he believed Almeyda would've been good for El Tri.

"I know how he works and he's a great coach, he's got the desire to be in a national team and because of his time in Mexico he was hoping to be here," said Brizuela in a news conference in Mexico City on Monday. "He's got the quality and he's a coach who prepares and wants to grow, but the directors of the national team are studying to choose the next coach."

Club America striker Henry Martin rejected the notion that the team's next coach has to be Mexican, but Tijuana goalkeeper Gibran Lajud suggested that it must be someone who knows Liga MX well.

"We should go for people who know Mexican football, someone who is knowledgable about what is going on in the Mexican league, who knows the Mexican player, their characteristics and abilities," said Lajud in the same news conference.

Mexico will train in the federation's facility just outside of Mexico City this week, before flying to Monterrey on Wednesday, one day out from Thursday's game in Estadio Universitario against Los Ticos.

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