Antonio Mohamed

Ricardo Antonio Mohamed Matijević (born 2 April 1970) is an Argentine former professional footballer and current manager of Liga MX club Monterrey.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Mohamed and the second or maternal family name is Matijević.

Antonio Mohamed
Mohamed managing Celta in 2018
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Antonio Mohamed Matijević[1]
Date of birth (1970-04-02) 2 April 1970
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Monterrey (Manager)
Youth career
Vélez Sársfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1991 Huracán 109 (41)
1991–1993 Fiorentina 0 (0)
1991–1992 → Boca Juniors (loan) 15 (4)
1992–1993 → Independiente (loan) 26 (2)
1993–1998 Toros Neza 166 (49)
1998–2000 Monterrey 58 (12)
2000 Marte 20 (12)
2001 Irapuato 16 (2)
2001–2002 Atlante 24 (1)
2002 Celaya 14 (1)
2003 Zacatepec 16 (1)
Total 464 (125)
National team
1989 Argentina U20 2 (0)
1991 Argentina 4 (1)
Teams managed
2003–2004 Zacatepec
2004 Morelia
2004–2005 Querétaro
2005 Chiapas
2005–2006 Huracán
2006–2007 Huracán
2007–2008 Veracruz
2008–2010 Colón
2010–2011 Independiente
2011–2013 Tijuana
2013 Huracán
2014 América
2015–2018 Monterrey
2018 Celta
2019 Huracán
2019– Monterrey
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Antonio Mohamed started his career in Argentina with Huracán in 1987, when the club was playing in the second division. In the 1988–89 season, he was an important part of the Huracán team that gained promotion to the first division, scoring the only goal against Los Andes in the decisive match. Mohamed made his debut in the first division on 19 August 1990 in a match between Huracán and Deportivo Mandiyú, which ended in a 2–2 draw. In 1991 Mohamed was sold to Italian club Fiorentina for US$1.2 million, but was successively loaned to Boca Juniors and Independiente. He would later play for the majority of his career in Mexico, joining Toros Neza in 1993. His career apexed with Toros Neza when they had made it to the final against Guadalajara in the Verano '97 season alongside other famous players at the time such as Nildeson, Rodrigo Ruiz, and Germán Arangio. Mohamed left Toros Neza shortly before the club dissolved and went on to play for C.F. Monterrey. After playing briefly for several other Mexican football clubs from 2000 to 2003, he officially retired.[2]

International career

An Argentine international, Mohamed made his debut with the national team in a friendly match against Hungary on 19 February 1991, with Argentina winning the match 2–0. He made four appearances in total, scoring one goal.[2] He was a part of the Argentina squad that won the Copa América tournament in 1991.

Managerial career

Argentina and Mexico

After retiring as a player, Mohamed returned to Mexico to become the manager of Zacatepec. He then had spells as manager of Mexican clubs , Morelia, Querétaro, Chiapas and Veracruz. Mohamed returned to Argentina and in 2008 he led Huracán back into the Primera División for the first time since their relegation in 2003, only to be replaced by Osvaldo Ardiles six games into the season.[3]

In December 2010 he managed the Independiente side that won the Copa Sudamericana tournament, defeating Brazilian side Goiás 5–3 on penalties in the finals.[4] He would return to Mexico in 2011 and on 19 September Mohamed was announced as the new manager of recently promoted Club Tijuana, replacing Joaquín Del Olmo.[5] Mohamed led Tijuana to the Apertura 2012 championship, the first in the club's history, after defeating Toluca 4–1 on aggregate in the finals.[6] After stepping down as Tijuana manager in 2013 so he could move back to Argentina to be closer to his family,[7] Mohamed became the manager of Huracán for a second time, though a string of negative results led to his early resignation.[8]

Club América

On 10 December 2013, Mohamed was named the new manager of Club América for the Clausura 2014 tournament after the club's President Ricardo Peláez confirmed it during an interview with Univisión.[9] He was officially presented to the press on 17 December.[10] At the press conference it was revealed that he had signed a one year contract with the club, with the potential for an extension pending a review of his performance. Mohamed also spoke of the pressure that came with managing América and comparing it to his time with Club Tijuana, saying, "Here I have everything [sic] to lose."[11] His first two signings where Paraguayan center-back Pablo Aguilar, whom he coached while at Tijuana,[12] and Argentine striker Andrés Ríos.[13]

Mohamed's first league match with América came on 4 January 2014 in a 3–0 victory over UANL at the Estadio Azteca.[14] Mohamed suffered his first defeat as América manager on 10 January in a 0–1 loss to Tijuana.[15] Following a run of three-consecutive victories against León, Atlas, and Atlante, América suffered defeats to Pachuca and Morelia – both by a score of 0–1 – the first time they lost back-to-back games since the Clausura 2012 tournament,[16] leading the club's start to the tournament to be described as a "crisis". The team was criticized for its defensive style of play, with many drawing comparisons to predecessor Miguel Herrera's more offensive-minded tactics and his successful reign at the club,[17] though some believed that a lack of a proper pre-season and the club being in a period of transition were the reasons for the team's poor performances.[18]

On 23 February, América was defeated 1–3 by Universidad Nacional in the Mexico City derby, ending the club's two-year hegemony over Universidad.[19] The club's poor performance lead fans to Twitter asking Mohamed to resign.[20]

On 27 April, following a 1–1 draw against Toluca at the Estadio Nemesio Díez, América secured their qualification for the playoffs.[21] They would ultimately be eliminated in the quarterfinals by Santos Laguna with a 6–6 aggregate score (América won the first leg 5–3 and lost the second 1–3), with the away goals rule being the series' deciding factor.[22] At the post-match press conference, Mohamed stated his hope for continuing on with the club, saying: "I am very content at the club, the board has given me their full support…, if nothing strange happens then we [the coaching staff] will surely have a pre-season… I have a contract until December, they have always given me their full support, and it is up to them to decide."[23]

The regular season Apertura 2014 was much more successful from the start with Club America holding the 1st place lead throughout the season. Turco continued to struggle winning any of the big 3 derbies during the regular season. Mohamed's laid back style of managing the team caused friction with the administrative staff. These instances usually involved long weekend getaways to support the Argentina National Football Team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, going to Europe for an all-star "peace match" for the Pope among other circumstances.[24] Going into the liguilla America's form had dropped significantly and many analyst did not see America making it past the first round. Tensions rose dramatically once America advanced to semifinals after a nail biter quarterfinal against Pumas. A few days before America's first leg semi final match against Monterrey, Mohamed dismissed club co-captain Paul Aguilar after an undisclosed serious matter that occurred in the locker room. During that week the entire press had multiple sources saying that Mohamed would no longer continue at the club regardless of the playoff result. The club morale was in even more shock once notable Club America players Luis Angel Mendoza and Jesus Molina had also been confirmed to be transferring teams, before playoffs had ever ended. Mohamed would continue to go into the final in the most professional manner, while only confirming that he would no longer continue the day before the 2nd leg of the final. Mohamed would go on to graciously manage America to win their 12th title, thus making America the most successful club in Mexican league football. A notable paraphrase that Mohamed said at his final interviews was "I will leave them (sic: Club América) the cup, but I am taking my dignity."[25]

C.F. Monterrey

On 16 February 2015 after the release of Carlos Barra as coach, Monterrey came into an agreement with Antonio Mohamed to become the new coach of the team. On 21 February 2015, Antonio Mohamed was able to gain a victory against Querétaro F.C. with a score of 2-1.

Celta

On 22 May 2018, La Liga club Celta de Vigo appointed Mohamed as manager on a two-year contract.[26][27] He was sacked on 12 November, with the team in 14th after 12 matches.[28]

Personal life

Mohamed's nickname is El Turco ("The Turk"), following the custom in many Latin American countries of using that nickname for people of Arab descent, whose ancestors arrived from the Ottoman Empire.[29] In June 2006 his nine-year-old son Faryd was killed in a car accident during the World Cup in Germany.[30] Mohamed himself suffered severe injuries in the accident and was in danger of losing his leg.[31] He is of Lebanese, Syrian and Croatian descent.[32] On December 29, 2019 he fulfilled the promise he made to his son by making the Monterrey football club champion of Mexican cup.

Managerial statistics
As of 11 November 2018
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Zacatepec 1 July 2003 23 February 2004 30 14 7 9 046.67
Morelia 26 February 2004 1 July 2004 12 5 2 5 041.67
Querétaro 1 July 2004 14 February 2005 29 12 9 8 041.38
Chiapas 16 February 2005 3 April 2005 6 1 2 3 016.67
Huracán 14 April 2005 5 June 2006 51 20 10 21 039.22
Huracán 10 October 2006 4 September 2007 38 22 11 5 057.89
Veracruz 9 October 2007 21 January 2008 7 2 2 3 028.57
Colón 24 March 2008 21 September 2010 97 36 32 29 037.11
Independiente 4 October 2010 5 September 2011 51 16 18 17 031.37
Tijuana 20 September 2011 31 May 2013 84 36 32 16 042.86
América 4 January 2014 14 December 2014 46 23 10 13 050.00
Monterrey 16 February 2015 7 May 2018 212 95 55 62 044.81
Celta Vigo 22 May 2018 12 November 2018 13 3 6 4 023.08
Total 686 288 196 202 041.98

Honours

Player
Huracán
Argentina

Manager
Independiente
Tijuana
América
Monterrey

Individual
  • Number 11 retired by Toros Neza as a tribute to his run with the club (1993–98).

Notes

    Chris Louis

    gollark: ++help
    gollark: I feel like it's quite well-documented.
    gollark: You know it has a search function, sinth?
    gollark: I didn't.
    gollark: ++list_deleted bib

    References
    1. ""Antonio Ricardo Mohamed Matijević"". Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
    2. "Antonio Mohamed biography".
    3. Escobar, Vincent (16 December 2013). "Así sería América con Antonio Mohamed". Goal.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2013.
    4. Strurtridge, Tim. "Independiente win Copa Sudamericana on penalties". The Independent. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
    5. "Antonio Mohamed, nuevo DT de Xolos". Medio Tiempo. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
    6. Calvo, Carlos (3 December 2012). "Tijuana win first league championship". Reuters. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
    7. Marshall, Tom. "Antonio Mohamed heads for Club Tijuana exit". Goal.com. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
    8. "Antonio Mohamed se fue de Huracán". Canchallena. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
    9. "Antonio Mohamed será el próximo director técnico del América, confirmó Peláez". Univisión. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
    10. "Mohamed presentado como nuevo técnico americanista". Club América – Sitio Oficial. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
    11. Espinosa, Eduardo (17 December 2013). "Acá tengo para perder: Mohamed". La Afición. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
    12. "Pablo Aguilar will accompany coach Mohamed in America of Mexico". CONMEBOL official website. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
    13. Montes, Juan Martín (7 January 2014). "Confirma América a Andrés Ríos como refuerzo". Medio Tiempo. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
    14. "Concacaf Football - Mohamed's America crush Tigres 3-0 at Clausura start". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
    15. "Xolos vence a América y a Mohamed en su regreso a Tijuana". CNN México. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
    16. Terán, Juan Manuel (14 February 2014). "'Amoroso' triunfo Monarca sobre el América". Medio Tiempo. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
    17. Villagrana, Rafael Ramos (21 February 2014). "Scales tip in favor of Herrera vs. Mohamed". ESPN FC. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
    18. Bell, Arch (10 February 2014). "Still to early to judge Mohamed at America". ESPN FC. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
    19. "Sin lucir, Pumas 'despluma' 3-1 a las Águilas en el Azteca". Terra Networks. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
    20. "Usuarios piden renuncia de Mohamed tras derrota del América". Informador. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
    21. "Toluca 1-1 América: Con cuadro alterno, Toluca apenas es empatado 1-1 por América". Univisión. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
    22. Mújica, Miguel Ángel (3 May 2014). "Santos remonta ante América y se mete a semifinales". Esto. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
    23. "Antonio Mohamed niega salida de América pese a eliminación". Terra Networks. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
    24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    25. http://www.espndeportes.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2254994%5B%5D
    26. "Antonio Mohamed, entrenador del RC Celta para las dos próximas temporadas" [Antonio Mohamed, coach of RC Celta for the next two seasons] (in Spanish). 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
    27. "Antonio Mohamed new Celta Vigo coach". Diario AS. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
    28. "El Celta despide a su entrenador Antonio Mohamed" [Celta dismiss their coach Antonio Mohamed]. El País (in Spanish). 12 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
    29. "¿Por qué le dicen "turcos" a los inmigrantes árabes?" [Why are Arab immigrants called "Turks"?]. Hoy Digital (in Spanish). 6 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
    30. "La disgracia llegó a tierras alemanas" [Disgrace arrived to German lands] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. Retrieved 4 July 2006.
    31. Entrenador de los Xolos, Antonio Mohamed, sueña con lo máximo Archived 8 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
    32. "5 Things You Need To Know About New Monterrey Rayados Coach Antonio Mohamed". Latin Times. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
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