Hugo Sanchez on Mexican national team

Select quotes from fifa.com:

A few months on from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, what’s your view on the current state of Mexican football?

We’re still not good enough to harbour hopes of winning a Copa America or a World Cup. Mexico are not yet ready to challenge the dominance of the likes of Brazil or Argentina. We started to show we were capable of going toe-to-toe with them back in 1993, but we haven’t taken the decisive step yet. I think that El Tri’s rightful place is as Las Americas' third-best team. Quite simply, the number of Mexican players at big clubs just doesn’t compare with those countries.

Do you think Mexico are in the process of narrowing that gap?

The results suggest not. I think the players have enough talent, but what often happens in Mexico is that other things are allowed to get in the way and slow the progress of our country’s football. Head coaches should be supported and backing should be given to the players, that’s what really matters. Without that, I think it [narrowing the gap] will be a real struggle. You can’t demand good performances if the set-up isn’t right.

El Tri are set to begin a new era under a new coach, Jose Manuel De La Torre. What needs to happen for this period to be a successful one?

I’ve always said that coaching cycles should be allowed to be brought to completion and that coaches need to be left to get on with the job. What happened to me was that I made the mistake of agreeing to coach the Olympic squad (Sanchez was sacked following Mexico's failure to qualify for Beijing 2008), which meant all the good work we’d been doing with the senior team was undone. The circumstances will be different now, but if people want results then coaches need to be allowed to get on with the job.

What can you tell us about the latest crop of Mexican footballers plying their trade in Europe?

I like their talent and their quality but, and I repeat, I think they need to be protected. They have what it takes to succeed but too much pressure is put on them, too much is expected of them, and they’re criticised too much. They’re very young players and the way they’re treated in our country makes them prefer to stay with their clubs rather than travel to play for the national team.

There are those that say Javier 'El Chicharito' Hernandez is the best striker to come out of Mexico since your good self. Would you agree?

Of course, you just have to look at the team he’s signed for. It’s not just anybody who earns a transfer to Manchester United at that age. I think he’s in the most favourable environment possible but watch out, he shouldn’t be compared to anybody because that’ll burden him with unnecessary responsibilities. Since we’ve not got many players with exceptional talent, we’ve got to look after them.

What advice would you give to these young Europe-based players?

They should be brave and not rest on their laurels. It was already tough for them to leave Mexico and come to Europe but they must understand that you have to maintain that level of effort. You don’t get too many opportunities like that in life and they’ve made the most of theirs, but they shouldn’t lose heart. If they’re patient, the results will come.

How do you think Mexico fared at South Africa 2010?

Well, it went the same as it always does. When I was appointed national-team coach I said that if we wanted to become world champions we needed to work as a team, with players, directors and journalists all pulling in the same direction. But that didn’t happen and there have been countless coaching changes. And while that’s good enough to see us in a mid-table position, between tenth and 20th in the world, I think that if there’d been continuity then we would have done as well as Uruguay did.

Do you feel like Mexico are no longer the dominant force in the CONCACAF region?

Not at all, the statistics are clear and the history books don’t lie. Only when the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras or Guatemala have appeared at more World Cups than Mexico or have historically got better results than we have will I think they’re on the same level. Form comes and goes, but you don’t build up that kind of prestige in a couple of years, not even in ten.

Would you be willing to retake the Mexico reins at some point in the future?

Of course! I could never refuse my country anything. When they need me, I’ll be there.