Mexico fires Cocca after CONCACAF Nations League flop

Mexico football chiefs fired national team coach Diego Cocca on Monday in the wake of the side's CONCACAF Nations League loss to the United States last week.

Argentine coach Cocca was only appointed to the Mexico job in February and was due to oversee El Tri's campaign in the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, which kicks off on Saturday.

However, after a comprehensive 3-0 drubbing by the USA in last Thursday's CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals, followed by a scratchy 1-0 win over Panama on Sunday, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) opted to make a change on Monday.

"The natural thing to do would be to wait for the end of the Gold Cup, but today we don't have time to waste, so I'm letting you know that I've taken the decision to terminate the contracts of Diego Martin Cocca and his staff," said FMF president Juan Carlos Rodriguez.

Mexican coach Jaime Lozano will take charge of the national team for the Gold Cup as an interim appointment, Rodriguez added.

Mexico's Nations League campaign was the latest in a series of disappointing displays by El Tri, which failed to get past the group stage at last year's World Cup.