Perhaps it’s not just Liga MX players who are shipping up to MLS in greater numbers.
As he’s poised to depart reigning Concacaf Champions League winners Tigres UANL, head coach Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti has said he’d be interested in managing in MLS.
"If an offer arrived, I would consider it,” Ferretti, 67, said during a recent press conference.
Ferretti has led Tigres since 2010, bringing the club a trophy haul that includes five different Liga MX titles, three Campeon de Campeones crowns, a CCL trophy and the inaugural Campeones Cup. He’s also worked with Morelia, Chivas, Pumas and Toluca since starting to manage in Liga MX during the early 1990s.
Ferretti even boasts some international coaching experience, thrice leading Mexico on an interim basis. He memorably led El Tri to the 2015 Concacaf Cup title.
Should Ferretti come to MLS, he’d follow in the footsteps of San Jose Earthquakes manager Matias Almeyda in arriving from Liga MX. Almeyda, now in his third year with San Jose, led Chivas before coming stateside. Before returning to MLS in 2020, Orlando City SC head coach Oscar Pareja led Club Tijuana. Pareja also had preceding MLS stints with FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids.
While not a Liga MX job, Tata Martino departed Atlanta United after the 2018 campaign to lead Mexico’s national team. As much focus as there is on the player movement between these neighboring leagues, there’s also a coach interchange of sorts.
So will Ferretti come to MLS after his lengthy Tigres tenure? That doesn’t seem imminent and there'd need to be an opening that'd work for all parties involved. But there’s at least cursory interest from Tuca, who’s consistently been among the top managers in the Americas.
