Mexico Coach Aguirre Injured in Post-Match Attack
Mexico’s Concacaf Nations League campaign got off to a disastrous start as they suffered a 0-2 defeat to Honduras in the first leg of their semi-final clash. The match was marred by an ugly incident after the final whistle, when Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre was left with a bloodied head after being hit by an object thrown from the stands.
Aguirre was walking along the touchline to shake hands with his Honduran counterpart Reinaldo Rueda when fans began to hurl objects at him. One of the objects, a can, struck Aguirre on the top of his head, causing a laceration. The incident left Aguirre visibly shaken and in need of medical attention.
The Honduran Football Federation (FFH) has since condemned the actions of the fans, but also accused Aguirre of instigating them. In a statement, the FFH said that Aguirre’s “obnoxious gestures and provocative attitudes” had provoked the fans.
Aguirre has denied these allegations, claiming that he was simply trying to calm down the crowd. He also criticized the security at the stadium, saying that they should have done more to protect him.
Honduras coach Rueda took a different approach to the incident, blaming the security for failing to prevent the attack on Aguirre. He said that such incidents should not be tolerated in any stadium.
The incident has cast a shadow over the Concacaf Nations League, which is a new tournament designed to replace the Gold Cup. The tournament is intended to provide more competitive matches for the region’s top teams, but the violence that marred the Mexico-Honduras match has raised concerns about the safety of players and fans.