_-_04_(cropped).jpg) Mohamed managingCelta in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ricardo Antonio Mohamed Matijević[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1970-04-02)2 April 1970 (age 55) | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Toluca (Head Coach) | ||
| 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) | 16 | (4) |
| 1992–1993 | →Independiente (loan) | 26 | (2) |
| 1993–1998 | Toros Neza | 180 | (50) |
| 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 | 479 | (126) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989 | Argentina U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 1991 | Argentina | 4 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 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 | ||
| 2019–2020 | Monterrey | ||
| 2022 | Atlético Mineiro | ||
| 2023 | UNAM | ||
| 2025– | Toluca | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ricardo Antonio Mohamed Matijević (born 2 April 1970) is an Argentinefootballmanager and former player. He is the current head coach ofLiga MX clubToluca.[2]
Mohamed played as astriker, making his senior debut withHuracán in 1988 and being sold to Italian clubFiorentina in 1991. He never played for the side, and served loans atBoca Juniors andIndependiente before resuming his career in Mexico. He subsequently started his coaching career in 2003 at his last clubZacatepec, and subsequently won the2010 Copa Sudamericana with Independiente and fourLiga MX titles each withTijuana,AméricaMonterrey andToluca.
Born inBuenos Aires, Mohamed made his senior debut withHuracán in 1988, playing in thePrimera B Nacional. After subsequently establishing himself as a starter, he helped his side to achieve promotion in the1989–90 season as champions by scoring the only goal againstLos Andes in the decisive match.
Mohamed made hisPrimera División debut on 19 August 1990, in a 2–2 draw againstDeportivo Mandiyú. Duringthat campaign, he scored ten goals as Huracán finished one point shy of aCopa Libertadores play-offs in the Clausura tournament.
In 1991, Mohamed was sold toSerie A sideFiorentina forUS$1.2 million,[3] but was successively loaned toBoca Juniors andIndependiente back in his home country. He left the club in 1993, and joinedToros Neza in Mexico. His career apexed with Toros Neza when they had made it to the final againstGuadalajara in the Verano '97 season alongside other famous players at the time such asNildeson,Rodrigo Ruiz, andGermán Arangio.
In 1998, after a brief period where he played two Libertadores matches withClub América,[4] Mohamed moved toMonterrey.[5] After playing briefly forMarte,Irapuato,Atlante,Celaya andZacatepec from 2000 to 2003, he officially retired at the age of 33.[6]
AnArgentine international, Mohamed made his debut with the national team in a friendly match againstHungary on 19 February 1991, with Argentina winning the match 2–0. He made four appearances in total, scoring one goal.[6] He was a part of the Argentina squad that won theCopa América tournament in1991.
Shortly after retiring, Mohamed took up coaching at his last club Zacatepec in theAscenso MX, reaching thesemifinals of the Liguilla and leaving the club after they changed name to Leones de Morelos.[7] He took overLiga MX sideMonarcas Morelia on 23 February 2004, replacingRubén Omar Romano.[8]
Mohamed was sacked by Morelia in June 2004, after only 13 matches.[9] He subsequently took overQuerétaro in the second division before replacingJosé Luis Trejo at the helm ofChiapas in February 2005.[10]
Mohamed was relieved of his duties in April 2005, and was subsequently replaced byFernando Quirarte.[11] He subsequently returned to his first club Huracán, achieving a top tier promotion in2007.
Mohamed resigned in September 2007, and returned to Mexico in the following month after being namedVeracruz manager.[12] He resigned the following 27 January, after only eight matches.[13]
On 19 March 2008, Mohamed was appointed in charge ofColón de Santa Fe back in his home country.[14] In September 2010, after attracting the interest of major clubs in the country, he resigned.[15]
On 4 October 2010, Mohamed was confirmed as new manager ofIndependiente.[16] In December, he led side that won theCopa Sudamericana tournament, defeating Brazilian sideGoiás 5–3 on penalties in thefinals.[17]
Mohamed announced his resignation from the club on 4 September 2011, after a poor start ofthe season.[18]
Mohamed would return to Mexico in 2011, and on 19 September of that year, he was announced as the new manager of recently promotedClub Tijuana, replacingJoaquín Del Olmo.[19] He led Tijuana to theApertura 2012 championship, the first in the club's history, after defeatingToluca 4–1 on aggregate in the finals.[20]
Mohamed stepped down as Tijuana manager in 2013, so he could move back to Argentina to be closer to his family,[21]
Shortly after leaving Tijuana, Mohamed became the manager of Huracán for a second time on 2 July 2013.[22] He resigned from the club in October, after three wins and seven losses in ten matches.[23]
On 10 December 2013, Mohamed was named the new manager ofClub América for theClausura 2014 tournament after club presidentRicardo Peláez confirmed it during an interview withUnivisión.[24] He was officially presented to the press on 17 December.[25] 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."[26] His first two signings whereParaguayan center-backPablo Aguilar, whom he coached while at Tijuana,[27] andArgentine strikerAndrés Ríos.[28]
Mohamed's first league match with América came on 4 January 2014 in a 3–0 victory overUANL at theEstadio Azteca.[29] Mohamed suffered his first defeat as América manager on 10 January in a 0–1 loss to Tijuana.[30] Following three consecutive victories againstLeón,Atlas, andAtlante, América suffered defeats toPachuca andMorelia, both 0–1, the first time they had lost back-to-back games since theClausura 2012 tournament.[31] The team was criticized for its defensive style of play, with many drawing comparisons to predecessorMiguel Herrera's more offensive-minded tactics and his successful reign at the club,[32] 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.[33] On 23 February, América were defeated 1–3 byPumas in theMexico City derby, ending the club's two-year hegemony over their intracity rival.[34]
On 27 April, following a 1–1 draw at Toluca, América secured their qualification for the playoffs.[35] They would ultimately be eliminated in the quarterfinals bySantos Laguna with a 6–6 aggregate score (América won the first leg 5–3, but lost the second 1–3), with theaway goals rule deciding the series.[36] 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."[37]
The regular season Apertura 2014 was much more successful from the start, with Club America holding first place lead throughout the season. Turco continued to struggle winning any of the big three derbies during the regular season. Mohamed's laid-back style of managing caused friction with the administrative staff. These instances usually involved long weekend getaways to supportArgentina at the2014 FIFA World Cup Final and going to Europe for an all-star "peace match" for the Pope, among other circumstances.[38]
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 the semifinal after a nail-biter quarterfinal against Pumas.[citation needed] A few days before the first leg of America's semi-final match against Monterrey, Mohamed dismissed club co-captainPaul Aguilar after an undisclosed locker room incident. During that week, multiple sources said Mohamed would no longer continue at the club regardless of the playoff result.[citation needed] The club morale was further affected once playersLuis Angel Mendoza andJesus Molina were confirmed to be transferring teams before playoffs had ended.[citation needed]
On 6 December 2014, Mohamed announced his departure from the club after the end of the Apertura tournament.[39] He still led the club to the Finals, and lifted the Apertura title after defeating UANL 3–1 on aggregate.[40]
On 16 February 2015, after the release ofCarlos Barra as coach,Monterrey appointed Mohamed as their new manager.[41] He made his debut at the helm of the club five days later, in a 2–1 a victory againstQuerétaro.
Mohamed remained in charge of theRayados in the following seasons, taking the club to theCONCACAF Champions League twice (2016 and 2018), but still being knocked out by Panamanian sideÁrabe Unido in the2016–17 group stage. On 7 May 2018, he resigned.[42]
On 22 May 2018, La Liga clubCelta de Vigo appointed Mohamed as manager on a two-year contract.[43][44] He was sacked on 12 November, with the team in 14th after 12 matches.[45]
On 28 December 2018, Mohamed returned to Huracán, starting his fourth spell as manager of the club.[46] He resigned the following 23 April, after the club was knocked out of the2019 Copa Libertadores.[47]
On 9 October 2019, Mohamed returned to Mexico and Monterrey, after being named in charge until the end of the season.[48] On 25 November of the following year, he left on a mutual agreement.[49]
On 13 January 2022, Mohamed was appointed as manager ofAtlético Mineiro of Brazil.[50] On 20 February 2022, Mohamed won his first title with the club, by beatingFlamengo in the penalty shootouts of theSupercopa do Brasil match.[51] On 2 April 2022, Mohamed won his second trophy with Atlético, beating arch rivalsCruzeiro in theCampeonato Mineiro final with a 3–1 score.[52] He left the club on 22 July 2022, following a string of poor results in theCampeonato Brasileiro and an exit in the round of 16 of theCopa do Brasil.[53]
In March 2023, Mohamed returned to Mexico, this time as manager ofUNAM. He transformed the team into a consistent side in theApertura 2023 tournament, but they were eliminated in the semifinals at the hands of Tigres UNAL due to them being the higher seeded team in the regular season after the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate with neither team scoring any away goals. On 12 December 2023, Mohamed stepped down from his position citing personal reasons.[54]
On December 11, 2024, Mohamed was named the head coach ofToluca, and within six months, he steered the club to their 11th league championship, ending a 15-year title drought.
Mohamed's paternal grandfather was Lebanese-Syrian and his paternal grandmother was Argentine, and his maternal grandfather was Croatian and his maternal grandmother was Chilean.[55][56] His nickname isEl Turco ("The Turk"), following the custom in many Latin American countries of using that nickname for people of Arab descent, whose ancestors arrived from theOttoman Empire.[57]
In June 2006, his nine-year-old son Faryd was killed in a car accident during theWorld Cup in Germany.[58] Mohamed suffered severe injuries in the accident and was in danger of losing his leg.[59] On 29 December 2019, he fulfilled the promise he made to his son by making Monterrey champions of the Liga MX.
His other sonShayr is also a footballer and a forward. Both worked together at Monterrey in 2020.[60]
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Zacatepec |  | July 2003 | January 2004 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 046.67 | |
| Morelia | | 24 February 2004 | 30 June 2004 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 046.15 | [61] |
| Querétaro | | July 2004 | February 2005 | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 55 | 49 | +6 | 041.38 | |
| Chiapas | | February 2005 | April 2005 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 016.67 | |
| Huracán |  | April 2005 | July 2006 | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 039.13 | [62] |
| Huracán | | October 2006 | September 2007 | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 64 | 37 | +27 | 057.89 | [62] |
| Veracruz | | 9 October 2007 | 27 January 2008 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 18 | −11 | 025.00 | [63] |
| Colón | | 19 March 2008 | 21 September 2010 | 97 | 36 | 32 | 29 | 137 | 125 | +12 | 037.11 | |
| Independiente | | 4 October 2010 | 4 September 2011 | 47 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 60 | 56 | +4 | 029.79 | |
| Tijuana | | 19 September 2011 | 24 May 2013 | 84 | 36 | 32 | 16 | 109 | 82 | +27 | 042.86 | [64] |
| Huracán | | 2 July 2013 | 1 October 2013 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 030.00 | [62] |
| América | | 17 December 2013 | 14 December 2014 | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 81 | 46 | +35 | 050.00 | [65] |
| Monterrey | | 16 February 2015 | 7 May 2018 | 172 | 83 | 43 | 46 | 305 | 217 | +88 | 048.26 | |
| Celta |  | 22 May 2018 | 12 November 2018 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 023.08 | [66] |
| Huracán | | 28 December 2018 | 23 April 2019 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 011.11 | [67] |
| Monterrey | | 9 October 2019 | 25 November 2020 | 53 | 23 | 18 | 12 | 88 | 65 | +23 | 043.40 | |
| Atlético Mineiro |  | 13 January 2022 | 22 July 2022 | 45 | 27 | 13 | 5 | 77 | 36 | +41 | 060.00 | |
| UNAM | | 27 March 2023 | 12 December 2023 | 27 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 044.44 | |
| Toluca | | 12 December 2024 | present | 45 | 28 | 12 | 5 | 103 | 50 | +53 | 062.22 | |
| Career total | 827 | 365 | 241 | 221 | 1,315 | 994 | +321 | 044.14 | — | |||
Toluca
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