With vast experience on the bench for teams in Argentina, Mexico and Spain, Mohamed, 51, will replace Alexi Stival, Cuca.
Argentine coach Antonio Turkish Mohamed will direct the powerful Atlético Mineiro, current champion of Brazil and who will play the Copa Libertadores de América, the Brazilian club reported this Thursday.
“We hired Antonio Mohamed for one year, until December, with the possibility of continuing,” said Belo Horizonte’s soccer director, Rodrigo Caetano, in a YouTube broadcast.
With vast experience on the bench for teams in Argentina, Mexico and Spain, Mohamed, 51, will replace Alexi Stival, cuca, who last season guided the Galo to win the Brasileirao for the first time since 1971, as well as the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Mineiro.
Idol of the albinegros, who in 2013 gave their first and only Libertadores by the hand of Ronaldinho Gaúcho, cuca he resigned at the end of December citing personal issues.
Since then, the Mineiro has considered several candidates -such as the Portuguese Jorge Jesús or the Argentine Eduardo Berizzo- until opting for Mohamed, a former striker famous for the emotionality with which he directs and with a remarkable track record in South American football.
“Lots of motivation”
“I am very encouraged, to tell the Pulp (swollen) that you can expect a lot of effort, a lot of claw, a lot of motivation from us, ”said the DT in the broadcast.
The “Turco” won the 2010 South American Cup with Independiente de Argentina, while in Mexico he won the 2012 Apertura with Tijuana, the 2014 one with América and the 2019 one with Monterrey. In addition, with the stripes he raised the MX Cup in 2017 and 2020.
Mohamed, who also managed Spain’s Celta de Vigo in 2018, has been without a team since agreeing to leave Monterrey in November 2020.
In his first experience in Brazil, he will be in charge of a squad full of figures commanded by Hulk, the Argentines Ignacio Fernández and Matías Zaracho, the Chilean Eduardo Vargas, the Brazilians Guilherme Arana and Mariano, and the Uruguayan Diego Godín, signed this week.
The Spanish-Brazilian attacker Diego Costa negotiates his departure from the team, according to Caetano.
“At the end of last season, he expressed his desire to leave for a matter of adaptation, personal issues (…) It is very likely that he will not be with us this season,” said the manager.
The Galo will start the 2022 season at the end of this month, when he debuts in the Minas Gerais state tournament (Campeonato Mineiro). Then they will play the Libertadores and the local league and cup. (D)
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